Shattered Memories
by The Blue Time Ranger
Summary: When parents begin to go missing in Japan, it seems like another normal case for the spies, until May finds her own parents among the missing. During their mission, May will reunite with her old friend circle to find her missing parents and stop a psychopath who felled one of their old friends... Co-op project with Mat49324, and episode five of "Totally Spies: The New Adventures".
1. Resonance

_Three weeks after the events of Affairs of the Heart..._

May slowly opened her eyes as she returned to the world of the waking after a rather crazy dream, flopping back down on her pillow.

A quick glance to the right of her room (yes, it was her room; the spies had graciously offered her a room here at the villa while she was here in America) towards her alarm clock revealed that it was only about quarter after six.

_Why the heck am I up so dang early?_ May thought. _I never woke up this early, even when I was a kid!_

Despite her sleep-hazed mind, May couldn't help but think back to her youth, especially all the school-yard adventures she'd shared with her friends, collectively calling themselves the "Jellyfish Pirates".

Even now, she still felt some sadness at how the group had broken up. Most of them had just grown up and moved on, even if they promised to always keep the spirit of the Jellyfish Pirates in their young hearts.

A few, however...

May quickly shook her head a few times, clearing both the mental cobwebs of sleepiness _and_ those cursed thoughts from her mind. Now _definitely_ wasn't the time.

May hopped out of bed, deciding that she may as well get her day started, just missing the fact that today on her calendar was circled in a bright orange.

After going down the stairs, not surprised to see that none of her fellow friends and spies were awake either, May plopped down on the couch and opted to see if anything was on TV this morning.

"Man, American TV is so different from Japanese TV," May giggled. "I almost forgot that most of these American networks don't show anime in the morning. That stinks, because I really liked that one where..."

The resounding noise of a loud POP! jolted May into complete awareness, and she jumped from her perch on the couch and immediately adopted a karate stance. "All right, who's the wise guy who wants to get punched?!" May shouted.

A chorus of eleven separate voices immediately responded with a loud and boisterous "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAY!"

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Shattered Memories  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** October 12th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The fifth joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger. May Iwakura has a pretty good life, all things considered. She has a circle of close friends, not to mention being an agent of W.O.O.H.P., ready and vigilant to thwart evildoers and nutcases. But once again, the past refuses to stay buried. When parents begin to go missing in Japan, it seems like another normal case for W.O.O.H.P, until May finds her own parents among those missing. During their mission, May will reunite with her old friend circle, the Jellyfish Pirates, in hopes of finding her missing parents and, if rumors are to be believed, stop a psychopath who may be responsible for the dissolution of the Jellyfish Pirates...

**Author's Notes from The Blue Time Ranger:** All right, here begins another adventure! This time, May's getting the spotlight, and let me just say, I am LOVING May's new design in Guilty Gear 2020 and her play style (guys, SHE KILLED KY KISKE WITH A FALCON PUNCH).

**Author's Notes from Mat49324:** With us finding Totally Spies on YouTube, there's a 0 percent chance I'll be leaving a second time. We're happy to find out we got a review for "Affairs of the Heart", and we'd appreciate it if readers left more. I know I'm not too proud of most of my past stories, granted they were 15 years ago and I was young and naïve. I AM proud of the joint fics w/ others, and a few stories I wrote on my own – including my game show parodies (haha). Again, my own "Mat" character is no longer a self-insert (a move I very much should've done back then, but oh well) – just an 18-year-old regular character w/ some of my traits. Oh, and we're still using the year 2006 here.

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and I do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

* * *

Episode 1: Resonance

May couldn't believe her ears, but she smiled regardless. "Aw, you guys, you didn't have to..." May quipped.

"Hey, come on, girl, we gotta do it for our friend, you know that," Clover laughed. "Especially when it's her sweet sixteen! That's a big time in a teenager's life!"

"Wait, hold on, how did you all know my birthday?" May wondered.

"That would be me," Nick admitted. "I remembered that it was coming up and figured I'd let everybody know so we could help you celebrate it."

"Ooh, Nick, you are the best friend _ever_!" May squealed, leaping over to hug Nick tightly. "So, what, if anything special, do we have planned today?"

"Well, for starters, considering that it's a nice day out, why don't we hit the _beach_?!" Alex proclaimed. That was met with universal praise by all twelve spies, as it had been too long since they'd been to the beach, especially with all of their capers lately.

**11:59 AM – Santa Monica Beach**

Clover wasted no time in putting sunblock on and doing her usual boy-watching. Nick and Alex were waiting on food that Nozomi, Haruka, and Britney were gathering for the group.

"It is beautiful here," May commented.

"Glad you think so," said Alex. "We love coming here."

"Totally," said Clover. "It'd be ten times better if I were with a boy in my life like Sam and Alex do."

"Oh, your time will come, Clover," Nick assured. "But it is good that Mat's out of his funk after the last time."

"Totally," said Alex. "Dawn figured it out – Mat's a racer at heart."

"I honestly thought Mat's Supercross thing was just some hot trend," said Clover. "Not anymore, though, after all that he's shown us. I can't believe I'm saying this, but after seeing him so sad... I was beginning to _miss_ that happy personality of his."

She looked to see two vacant towels and two sets of sandals right next to Alex – both belonged to Sam and Mat; Mat's towel wasn't too hard to figure out with one of his motocross magazines (and his usual shirt) on it.

"And the fact he's pretty fun to be around, too," added Melissa.

Dawn was in agreement, and so was May.

Nick looked behind to see Britney, Haruka, and Nozomi come back with refreshments.

"Ah, _thank you, __Brit_," said Clover as she took a smoothie.

Haruka and Nozomi split the other refreshments around everyone else. Nozomi took her spot on the beach, which was next to Dawn, and Britney, who relaxed next to Clover. Haruka relaxed in-between Nick and Britney.

"We better start coming here more often since we're officially on summer break," Haruka said. "Even though we've got a pool and jacuzzi at home."

"That'd be fun," said Dawn as Melissa returned from a swim in the water.

"Did you see where Sam and Mat went?" May asked Melissa.

Melissa looked at her and gave an "Oh, yeah," and nothing more. Everyone looked among each other.

Alex was the only one who wasn't listening because she was looking down the shoreline at the crashing waves... and at a pretty sight – to her anyway.

"Alex?" Clover then asked. "Hel-lo... Earth to Alex?" She even waved her hand in front of Alex's face.

That was when Alex came back to reality to see the group look at her.

"Whoops, sorry, Clover," chuckled Alex as she mixed her own smoothie. "I was just looking at Sammy and Mat... and those two _aren't wasting any time!_"

The group of friends got a look at what Alex was seeing currently and what Melissa DID see just a little while ago. Mat and Sam were by the shoreline playfully chasing each other in and out of the water; Sam back in her usual one-piece green swimsuit after the last time. Both laughed at one another.

"Now _there's_ a couple that's in love," said Britney.

"I said this to Mat," said Nick. "But the guy's chock-full of ideas to surprise a lady. I've definitely got quite a bit from him when I feel the time's right."

"No kidding," said Haruka. "Especially after last time when he made dinner for Sam, and all of us."

"I'm almost jealous," said Clover. "But at least Mat's one of us."

The group got a front row seat of Mat and Sam playfully chasing each other and giggling, and even seeing the couple splash in completely.

"Isn't that just sweet to watch?" Alex asked.

The spies nodded in agreement.

Almost ten minutes later was when Sam and Mat shared a peck and went back to their spot.

"Fun?" Alex asked.

"I think I got any excess sadness from the Vegas Supercross out of my system," said Mat as he caught his breath.

"I guess it worked, then," said Sam to Mat as she lay on her towel. Mat then grabbed her hand instead of his magazine.

"Is the water okay?" Clover asked.

"Lovely," said Sam.

Mat nodded in agreement.

"So, how do you plan to top surprising Sam now?" Alex asked Mat with a smirk on her face.

"I don't know," said Mat, obviously surprised at the question. "But it didn't take me long to figure out how tight you girls are, and welcomed the rest of us."

That caught Alex and Clover by surprise.

"Hey, don't be modest," said Mat. "You guys got spunk I wish I had – you got the 'go for it' mindset, Clover, and I suppose I picked up on it a bit; Alex, I think it's that you come through when it matters – me, I feel I can only do that once in a while."

"And on another note: you girls told me not to come between you – I made sure to burn that into my head for sure," Mat continued on. "I've had so much more fun with you three than with my other friends back home. Besides, I've got along with all of you."

"Well, aren't _you_ a total sweetheart," Alex giggled.

"No kidding, girl," Clover responded.

The rest of the group got at least one swim of their own in while Melissa, Mat, and Sam stayed back at their spots.

"Ah, that was fun, you guys," May giggled. "Thanks for letting me experience a beach trip in Beverly Hills. Nick always said you all have so much fun at the beach."

"Mostly," Sam quipped. "Remember Boogie Gus?"

"Um, trying to _forget_ that surfer-dude wacko!" Alex exclaimed, which made everyone laugh.

"So, where are we off to next?" May wondered.

"Well, there's this really cool restaurant that just opened a few weeks ago," Nick explained. "We've been meaning to check it out, but considering everything we've been doing lately, it kinda slipped our minds."

May's eyes filled with stars when she realized what place they were most likely talking about. "Wait, do you mean...?!"

Nick was unable to answer that question due to a large vacuum tube emerging from the shadows of a nearby oak tree and sucking all twelve spies into it.

"_Seriously_, Jerry?!" May shouted. "Today, of all days?!"

"Nutballs never sleep, sadly," Alex quipped.

After about five seconds of falling through the transport tube, the group found themselves once again in W.O.O.H.P. headquarters, with Jerry waiting for them as always.

"Hello again, spies," Jerry proclaimed as usual. "And might I also wish you a happy birthday, May?"

"Thanks, Jerry," May replied. "Now let's get down to business so we can wrap the creepo of the week up and get back to my birthday escapades."

Jerry nodded, gesturing to the nearby viewscreen and beginning a slideshow of various men and women, usually in pairs. "It seems that someone is going around kidnapping parents, specifically parents," Jerry explained. "It started in Japan, but now it seems to be spreading to other countries as well."

"Why parents, specifically?" Sam wondered.

"No clue at this point, but we're looking into this," Jerry continued. "We want you to head to Japan to see if anyone knows how this all started, as they were the site of the first reported kidnappings."

"I hope it's not that Jason guy from Zooney World," Clover admitted. "Babysitting Norman during that case was bad enough, but..."

"WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE!"

All eyes in the room locked onto May, who now looked incredibly frightened and disoriented over something she'd seen.

"J-Jerry?" May asked. "Can you slide back three pictures, please?"

Despite the confusion, Jerry complied, going back three stops in the slideshow of missing parents.

The mother in the specified picture had long brown hair and brown eyes with glasses, almost the spitting image of May, and the father had short brown hair and brown eyes as well, but was slightly taller than his wife.

"Do you know them, May?" Nozomi asked.

May slowly nodded. "Those two... are my parents."

Nick immediately hopped to his feet. "Jerry, if it's not too much trouble, we'd like to receive our gadgets and head off to Japan right stat now," Nick proclaimed. "Even if it's just another nutjob making dumb decisions, whoever is behind this made it _personal_ by messing with my friend."

"Right away, spies," Jerry stated.

As the spies made their way onto the Skyskimmer, Nick couldn't help but glance at May, hoping she would be all right.

"May?" Nick asked.

"I-I'm-I'm fine!" May squeaked.

"Sorry, not buying it," Nick teased before softening his expression and giving May a hug. "Hey, don't worry about a thing, silly. I promise you we'll find your parents before anything can happen to them."

"And you never break your promises," May replied, hugging Nick back for a few seconds. "Let's go punish this scumbag."

"Let's," Nick quipped.

As the Skyskimmer lifted off, Nick made sure to hold May's hand, knowing she would need all the emotional support she could get.

And May squeezed back, to show that she appreciated it.

"That's no way to celebrate the sweet sixteen," Mat commented.

"No way," Sam agreed.

"When I thought we were heading to Japan, I didn't think it'd be under circumstances like this," said Nick.

Haruka, Nozomi, May, and the others nodded in agreement.

"I don't know who's the brains behind this," Mat went on. "But they're _going _to _pay_! Any ideas, guys?"

Sam, Clover, Alex, and Britney didn't give an answer, so they all checked on Nick and the others. It certainly wasn't Professor Genesis, that's for sure – and definitely not any regular villain the spies knew. Haruka was the first to give an answer.

"Wait, does W.O.O.H.P. know who's kidnapping people?" Haruka asked.

"I guess that's what we're here to find out," Bridget quipped.

"I'm having a hard time linking a lot of the villains we've fought in the past to this crime," Sam admitted. "It doesn't seem like their M.O., honestly."

"Then it's probably another new baddie for us to stomp," Alex stated.

"Hold on... Japan approaching," said Clover as the Skyskimmer approached Tokyo.

Sam landed the Skyskimmer and all twelve spies hopped out. They stayed close while walking through the city.

"Where do we start, guys?" asked Mat.

Sam was busy tinkering with her X-Powder trying to form an answer.

"Found out something, Sammy?" Clover asked.

"Trying to," Sam answered. "I'm looking through the database of the parents who've been snatched, so I can see where this all started. Maybe we'll get some answers that way. Hmmm... got something!"

"What is it, Sammy?" Mat asked.

"The first kidnapping occurred in Tachikawa, Tokyo," Sam explained. "And..."

May finished that question for Sam. "That's where I used to live before I came to America! That means... that rat bastard went after _my_ parents first!"

"Well, I guess that's stop number one," said Alex.

"So much for low crime rate here," Mat quipped. "At least for now anyway."

"Totally," said Clover. "I better get a sushi roll here while we're at it."

"Clover, worry about food later," Sam groaned.

"Yeah, Clover, I think getting my parents safely rescued is priority one here!" May responded.

"Exactly," said Bridget.

"Wait, hold on," said Mat. "Where's Haruka?"

"Over here," said Haruka, just leaving a photo shop. That gave a few spies a sigh of relief.

"How long were you gone?" Alex asked.

"Just a few minutes," Haruka answered.

"We'll get the truth out of you later," said Nozomi. "We got a mission to do."

"Yeah," said Nick. Oddly enough, he, Bridget, and May seemed to be the only ones who knew that Haruka had ducked into that photo shop.

The group made their way to the said location that Sam received through her X-Powder.

"Stay alert, guys," said Britney.

"Kinda wish we had an idea of what to be on the lookout for," said Mat.

May couldn't help but feel a rush of nostalgia as she gazed around her hometown. Even still, she shook her head to clear her mind. Now was no time to be getting nostalgic, after all.

"All right, spies, where are we off to?" Nozomi proclaimed.

"M-May? Is that really you?"

May spun on her heel at the sound of her name being called, and looked just down the street to see a girl about her age with short, curly dark hair (with a few streaks of green), blue eyes, and wearing a shirt with something that she never thought she'd see again.

Embroidered on the simple yellow t-shirt was a large anchor surrounded by a circle that resembled a dolphin.

"M-Mira?" May asked.

That was all the excuse the two girls needed to dash towards each other, ending with a flying hug.

"Holy _crapbaskets_, Mira, it's so good to see you again!" May exclaimed. "How the heck have you been?!"

"I could say the same about you, May!" Mira responded. "I didn't know you were back in town!"

"Ehehehe, let's just say I have some business to take care of," May answered. "Oh, by the way, _definitely_ appreciate the shirt."

"I got it custom-made recently," Mira replied, knowing that May would know who she was talking about. "Just something to honor our group, especially after..."

"Hey, don't cry," May replied, hugging Mira again. "I'm sure she'd be proud of us."

"Um, could we possibly get a footnote here?" Alex asked.

"Oh, sorry, got a little carried away," May giggled, turning around and gesturing to Mira. "Everyone, this is Mira, a childhood friend of mine. We're the founding members of the 'Jellyfish Pirates'."

"Wait, Jellyfish _Pirates_?" Clover wondered. "You mean, as in _actual_..."

"No, no, Clover, we weren't _real_ pirates," May laughed. "We just liked the name because it sounded cool. And I may have watched too many of those old pirate movies, too..."

"But we were _good_ pirates!" Mira explained. "We fended off schoolyard bullies, we helped people when they needed it, and we even got a couple to hook up once!"

"Souji's still proud of that one, isn't he?" May laughed. "Anyways... about three years ago, one of our friends..."

After taking a moment to catch her breath, May focused herself. "You know, it'd be probably be a little easier if I showed you," May stated. "Follow me, everyone."

With nothing else to say, the spies followed May and Mira to an area just outside of the city and into a large, sprawling park.

A few steps into the park revealed that a small, but elaborate gravestone had been erected close to a large tree. The stone in question was decorated with ribbons and bows of varying colors.

_Here lies Tachikawa Ami 1990-2003  
__A vibrant life taken far too soon_

Most of the spies were silent, just taking in this revelation while Mira tried her best to fight back her own tears.

"One of our friends was murdered three years ago," May explained. "I don't know if they ever caught the guy, honestly. That's why we disbanded the Jellyfish Pirates, because... we weren't sure if he was coming back for us or not."

"It's one of the reasons May and her family left Japan," Mira continued. "I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see May again after that..."

"Hey, does anyone hear footsteps coming up _really_ fast?" Sam asked.

Nick was already on the offensive, spinning around and jumping into the air to aim a flying kick at whoever was attacking him.

Sam quickly scanned through her database, wondering why this strange woman looked so familiar, until it finally came to her. "Spies, this is one of the missing parents!" Sam exclaimed.

"Wait, I'm confused," Clover quipped.

"You're not the only one, Clover," Melissa stated.

"As you should be, you wretched meddlers!"

May's gaze was the first to move high into the sky, where she spotted a boy who appeared to be only fourteen years old, riding a strange chair-shaped device full of gaudy neon lights and even a few laser cannons.

Below him, on the ground, were a few pairs of the missing parents that Jerry had showed them.

"Wait, did you just make it easy for us?" Dawn wondered.

"I don't see May's parents anywhere in that crowd..." Sam quipped.

"And just who the heck are _you_, neon boy wonder?!" Haruka shouted.

"Don't you understand?" the kid laughed in a way that no fourteen-year-old should laugh like. "I'm sure you've experienced it in your life. Parents who don't seem to care, who'd rather go to their dumb _business meetings_ instead of _spending time with their kids!_"

"Oh, god, you're not related to that Zooney World kid, are you?" Clover groaned.

"So, I figured, if this is how parents are supposed to act, then _nobody_ deserves them!" the kid proclaimed. "Children should be free, be allowed to live as they please, free from the tyranny of adults! So says Kid Rocket!"

"Um, seriously, _adult tyranny_?" Bridget taunted. "This isn't Kids Next Door, you know!"

May walked forward, her eyes narrowed in obvious anger. "All right, 'Rocket Boy' or whatever your lame villain name is," May proclaimed. "I'm only going to ask you this once, so you'd better give me a straight freakin' answer. _What did you do with my parents?!_"

"They're safe in my lair, but you should seriously abandon all hope of ever seeing them again!" Kid Rocket bellowed. "They belong to me now. No child shall ever have to suffer their parents' abuses _ever_ _again_!"

"Oh, you're asking for it now, _boy_," Nick proclaimed, letting his psychic aura burst to life. "Well, spies, what do you say we put this brat in timeout?"

No one got any chance to respond with a witty quip, since May let out a scream of pure, unyielding rage and charged head-on to attack Kid Rocket's chair.

"May, get back here! We need to think of a strategy!" Sam shouted.

Sam's statement went on mute to May as she charged after Kid Rocket.

"This will be easy," Kid Rocket sneered as he pounded the ground at the charging May.

The ground around May rumbled and sent her flying back to the group of spies, and May flat on her back.

"WOW!" Britney and Mat gasped together.

"Didn't know he could do that!" Alex gasped.

"Same," said Haruka.

Nick was running to help May to her feet.

"Is this one of his attributes or is this new to you, Nick?" Mat asked.

"Definitely not something I've ever seen before," Nick replied, firing off a few quick bursts to keep Kid Rocket on the defensive while he helped May to her feet.

"Give me back my parents, you Halloween-costume-wearing JERK!" May shouted.

"Calm down, May," Nick responded, gently squeezing May's shoulder. "We'll get him to talk one way or another."

"What's the matter?" Kid Rocket taunted. "No retaliation?!"

"If you're waiting for one, you're gonna get a WALLOP of a retaliation!" Nozomi exclaimed as she made a move for herself.

"Oh, please," Kid Rocket laughed. "Don't think you'll do any better."

Nozomi charged forward like May had earlier, and Kid Rocket slammed his chair down, just as Nozomi predicted. This time, Nozomi backflipped the instant the chair hit the ground, so that the chair completely missed her.

"What was that?" Nozomi taunted.

"Why, you..." Kid Rocket growled, turning his chair to face Nozomi as she circled around it.

"I think I got a trick up my sleeve," said Mat. "Maybe if Nozomi distracts him enough, we could use our laser lipsticks – and chapsticks – to make into one big bullet and hit him."

"It's worth a shot," said Sam, liking Mat's idea.

"I can charge up a psychic shot to add a little punch to it," Nick suggested.

He then fired up a psychic orb while the rest of the spies got their laser lipsticks ready. Nozomi was doing a helluva job distracting Kid Rocket, but Haruka told the spies she was going to assist Nozomi. After enough of the energy from the laser lipsticks was attained, Nick fired his psychic orb. Haruka and Nozomi saw it and quickly moved out of the way. The orb hit Kid Rocket before he could even see it coming.

"DIRECT HIT!" Alex exclaimed.

"Nice thinking, Mat!" Sam stated as she and Mat high-fived with Clover and Alex.

Haruka and Nozomi were backflipping back to the group of spies.

"Totally," said Nozomi, overhearing everyone's statements.

We could see Kid Rocket was still getting back to his feet.

"Way to hit the target, Mat!" Bridget laughed.

"Nothing but a bulls-eye," Nick teased.

"This isn't over yet, you dumb spies!" Kid Rocket proclaimed.

He retaliated back by firing shots that split into multiple shots – one shot for all twelve spies. That surprised everyone. Mat was quick to react on saving Sam, Clover, and Alex (while Alex pulled Britney away just in time) while Nick and Haruka got the others. As a result, Kid Rocket was 0 for 12 on hitting the spies, but there were visible damage spots around the area.

"Whew! Right place, right time," Mat quipped when it was safe. "You guys okay?"

"For the most part," Sam quipped.

"Was _not_ expecting him to leave with a parting shot, but I'm cool," Alex responded.

"He's lucky he didn't hit my hair," Clover stated. "But otherwise, all good here."

"I don't take my friends for granted; I just reacted," Mat replied back as he looked at Nick. "She's all good." He continued before Nick could ask about Alex.

Clover high-fived Mat as all the spies got to their feet and Alex went to Nick, who didn't look the least bit disturbed. The spies heard another voice addressed to Kid Rocket.

"I'll be back for round two," he said as he retreated.

"Okay, what the heck just happened?!" Clover retorted.

The spies walked upwards until Mat felt a prick on his foot.

"OW!" He exclaimed.

"Mat, what...?" Sam asked until Mat lifted his foot.

"I don't know," said Mat as he felt what had poked him.

"Let me get it," said Haruka. "Hey, it looks like some kind of transmitter with a needle on it. I thought I saw it on one of the parents when Kid Rocket was trying to crush us..."

"I've been poked with enough of those things lately," Mat groaned.

Sam's X-Powder went off, and the group knew it was Jerry.

"Spies, a mission update..." Jerry said as his visage appeared.

"Hey, Jer," said Sam. "Not a lot, other than something Mat stepped on."

Haruka used her X-Powder so Jerry could scan what Mat stepped on.

"Besides that," said Mat. "Clover's assumption on Jason – the Zooney World kid – might sound like a possibility."

"The device you found appears to be some sort of transmitter, as you theorized, Haruka," Jerry explained. "It seems to be a way to send hypnotic suggestions to anyone who's implanted with it."

"Oof, that sounds familiar," Clover sighed. "It's basically a smaller Zooney Helmet from the looks of things..."

"I'll keep analyzing, and see if Jason has anything do with these events," Jerry proclaimed.

"So, Jerry, any idea where we should head next?" Britney asked.

"I'll contact you when I've figured something else out," Jerry answered. "In the meantime, I expect that May has some catching up to do with her old friends."

And with that, the transmission cut out.

May slowly turned back to Mira, wondering how she was taking in everything she'd most likely just seen.

"Okay, Mira? Question. How much of that did you see?" May asked.

"Well, I kinda hid behind that big tree when mister kid-in-the-chair started stomping all over everything, but I saw you all fight him," Mira admitted. "Are you guys all _superheroes_?!"

May couldn't help but facefault at that. Mira always was the most imaginative of the Jellyfish Pirates.

"Well, sort of," May giggled. "I guess the jig's up, you guys."

"That's what usually tends to happen," Alex admitted.

"Okay, Mira, before I start, you've gotta promise _not to tell anyone_, except maybe the other Jellyfish Pirates, what I'm about to tell you," May proclaimed. "I only made an exception for the others since I've got a feeling they're going to be dragged into this soon anyways."

"It stays between us and the gang," Mira answered. "That's a _promise_."

So, after Mira texted the other members of the Jellyfish Pirates that were still in Japan, May explained their profession to her and why they had initially arrived in Japan. After about ten minutes, the four other remaining members of the Jellyfish Pirates had arrived, two boys and two girls about the same age.

"Well, my dudes, allow me to introduce you to the rest of the Jellyfish Pirates," May proclaimed. "You've already met Mira, the first mate, and of course me, the current captain."

"Our former captain was a boy named Johnny, who May really looked up to," Mira explained. "He was actually a couple years older than us, which meant he graduated and moved away not too long after Ami died."

"I miss him, honestly," May continued. "Johnny was my first crush, and he taught me martial arts, too! So pretty much all of my moves, I have Johnny to thank for!"

May continued to point to each of the Jellyfish Pirates in turn. "Souji here's our, let's say, 'navigator'," May explained. "As a kid, I had a... less than desirable sense of direction."

"Read: it _sucked_," Souji teased.

"HEY!" May shouted.

"So, whenever she got lost, I'd help her find the place she was going," Souji answered, laughing to himself at May's flustered expression. It always amused him, honestly.

"MOVING ON," May proclaimed. "April here's my lifelong bestie, and third co-founder of the Jellyfish Pirates."

"I've known May since we were practically infants," April stated. "And we founded the Jellyfish Pirates to stop a gang of bullies back in third grade."

"We _definitely_ showed them what for!" Mira giggled.

"And this here is Yuki, our craftswoman," May continued. "She learned how to sew and craft things really early thanks to school and her parents, and she made most of our official logos and outfits back when we were going through school!"

"I wanted to put my skills to good use, and May definitely appreciated it," Yuki replied, shuffling her feet slightly.

"And finally, we've got Akira, our 'lookout'," May finished. "He'd keep an eye out for any gossip or details that we could use to find out who needed our help."

"Really good hearing and an eye for gossip definitely helped in that regard," Akira quipped. "Especially considering some of those bullies didn't know the meaning of the phrase 'shut your dang mouth' when it came to their antics."

"Did you tell them about what happened to Ami?" April asked.

"Yup," May answered. "Showed them her grave and everything."

"So, May says that you're all spies," Souji quipped. "What's _that_ like?"

Before May could answer that question, her X-Powder began to chirp, indicating an incoming message from Jerry.

"Hold that thought, that's our boss," May quipped, fishing her X-Powder out and opening it up to indeed reveal Jerry. "What's the sit-rep, Jer?"

"I've completed the analysis of the strange transmitter, and I've traced the origin of its signal to somewhere here in Tokyo," Jerry explained.

"Which means Kid Rocket couldn't have gotten far if he's going back to his lair!" Sam exclaimed. "That must be where he's keeping all of the parents that have been kidnapped!"

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?!" May exclaimed. "Let's get there and stomp all over mister super-chair brat!"

Deciding that they would lead the charge, May and the Jellyfish Pirates took off, following the signal line from May's X-Powder towards a large warehouse in a condemned area, with the spies in hot pursuit.

"Wait, why is this warehouse even still standing?" May wondered. "I remember this warehouse, and it should have been torn down _years _ago."

"Wait, why a _warehouse_?" April asked.

"It's _always _a warehouse," Mat groaned. "Every stinkin' time."

"Rules for villains, number twenty-two," Nick responded. "Always pick the abandoned and or condemned places for your hideouts, because _nobody_ will suspect it, even when they should."

"All right, let's move in," Sam proclaimed. "It's go time, spies."

As the entire group made their way into the warehouse, May instinctively reached for Nick's hand, and he squeezed back.

"Thanks, Nick," May giggled. "You're still the nice guy you always were."

"Hey, I try," Nick replied. "Now let's go get your parents back."

"Well, now you know who we are," said Souji to the spies. "But you hadn't touched on who's who with your new 'spy friends', May."

"Yes, that's right," said April. "We at least know Nick already."

"I hadn't forgotten," said May.

She then ran through all the spies' names, but Mira seemed to be most surprised at hearing Mat is Sam's boyfriend, and Nick is Alex's; hearing Mat was from Hawaii was likely number two.

"So, what's all the spy stuff about?" asked Souji. "This is new to me, anyway."

"Well, the twelve of us are spies for W.O.O.H.P.," Clover began. "World Organization of Human Protection to be exact."

Sam and Alex then went on with explaining how Mat, Nick, Britney, and the others were recruited and all.

"Don't think you'll get away without us asking how you two have boys you like," said Souji as a fair warning to Sam and Alex.

"My mom got a job up here," Mat said. "But I guess she didn't really like it up here after a couple of years... and I didn't wanna leave my new friends – especially Sam. So, now I'm here by myself family-wise. I suppose our eyes met and we... kinda liked each other immediately."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I almost lost him when his parents went home, but I'm glad he insisted to them that he wanted to stay in Beverly Hills."

"Well, I've actually known Alex for a while, ever since I started my own career at W.O.O.H.P., but I, probably predictably, didn't say anything for a while because of obvious fears that she wouldn't feel the same way," Nick explained.

"But soon after we moved in to our beach house, Nick finally confessed to me," Alex continued. "And we've basically been going steady ever since."

"But I do see how similar you are to us by how tight you all are," Mira added.

"Glad you do," said Clover. "Besides, like Alex just said, we have our own beach house and live together, courtesy of our moms in Europe."

The group got back to business as Souji and May led the spies in the abandoned warehouse.

"I'm getting a serious case of the creeps," Haruka quipped.

"Makes two of us," said Mat.

Alex and Bridget nodded in agreement.

"So, could we ask what your last mission was?" Mira asked.

At Mat's okay, the other spies explained in their own words about Geraldine Husk and Natalie Valentine spy-napping him after he experienced "Supercross Heartbreak" as Mat dubbed it for their own gain.

"Everyone was there for me after that," Mat went on. "Especially Sam..." and he clutched Sam gently.

"Wow, you really nabbed a keeper, Mat," Souji quipped.

"No kidding!" April laughed.

The group continued on... until they entered a room and bright lights came on right away.

"What the heck?!" Nick quipped.

We heard Kid Rocket over a loudspeaker.

"So, you lot are back, eh?"

Mat was quick to note two sneak attacks on the fly...

...both headed for Britney and Sam.

"Okay, THAT'S not working at all!" Mat screamed as he dove to save Britney and Sam from any harm.

After all that, Mat caught his breath and looked over both girls he saved.

"Nice move, Mat," said Britney, extremely appreciative.

"Thanks again for the save, Mat!" Sam exclaimed.

"Are you gonna show yourself or not?!" Clover proclaimed. "This is REALLY getting irritating!"

"Careful what you wish for, Clover," Bridget quipped.

Nick was already prepping his psychic aura.

"Why don't you just _get out here and fight us?!_" Clover exclaimed.

Two small lights shined from the nearby darkness.

"Well, then, glad to oblige!" Kid Rocket exclaimed, revealing himself and firing a pair of large lasers from his chair towards Clover. Nick quickly planted himself in front of her, raising a psychic barrier to dissipate the shot.

"You really think that's going to work?" Nick quipped. "Psychic powers, remember?"

"It doesn't really matter how much of your psychic hooey you throw at me!" Kid Rocket laughed. "You won't win! _Get them!_"

Two more parents launched themselves from the shadows towards the spies, putting them on the defensive once again.

Naturally, May was shocked to see that it was _her _parents that were currently attacking them.

"W-wait a minute, why the heck are May's mom and dad trying to hurt us?!" Mira gasped. "We didn't do anything wrong, did we?!"

"Kid Rocket's controlling them!" Bridget responded. "He's kidnapping people's parents because he believes parents don't care about their kids!"

May quickly dodged and weaved through her parents' attacks, thanking her lucky stars that said attacks were slow and uncoordinated, no match for someone with her martial arts training.

"Come on, you guys, _snap out of it!_" May shouted. "Don't make he hurt you!"

"Just forget it, girl!" Kid Rocket proclaimed. "Your parents no longer belong to you! So long as my transmitters function, they belong to me and _nobody else_!"

Surprisingly, Bridget grinned widely at this. "Thanks for the tip, little dude. _Sonic Mode online!_"

Bridget tapped in a command on her X-Powder and her entire body shined with a green light, her clothes changing to a bright green synthetic track-suit.

"Whoa, _that's cool!_" Yuki proclaimed.

Kid Rocket simply turned his chair around and began to charge the lasers for another strike, but Bridget was already on the move, lunging forward at lightning speeds and attacking the chair, then turning back to launch another strike.

While Bridget continued to strike the chair to keep Kid Rocket distracted, Nick and May faced down Mr. and Mrs. Iwakura, hoping to release them from Kid Rocket's mind control.

"Any ideas, Nick?" May asked.

"Kid Rocket said something about his transmitters, like the one that Mat stepped on earlier," Nick replied. "I'll just bet that if we get those things off of them, it'll break his control on them."

"Hey, I see them!" May gasped. "Can you hold them for me?"

"Not a problem," Nick quipped, raising his hand just as Mr. and Mrs. Iwakura lunged for them, freezing them both in his psychic grip. "Go for it, May."

May quickly moved in to reach for the transmitters on her parent's arms and slowly remove them, so as not to cause any undue harm (as they were basically being implanted into their target's skin via that needle).

Once the transmitters were out, Mr. and Mrs. Iwakura stumbled slightly as Nick released his psychic grip, before looking up and opening their eyes.

"Wh-what are we doing here?" Mr. Iwakura asked.

"Wait, May, darling, is that you?" Mrs. Iwakura gasped.

That was all May needed.

"MOM! DAD!" May shrieked, throwing herself forward to hug her parents.

Nick opted to let May have her moment and turned his attention back to Kid Rocket, emerald light surrounding his right hand.

"You made a _gigantic_ mistake when you picked May's parents to kidnap for your sick little schemes," Nick growled. "Because May is a _really_ close friend of mine. And I don't know if you've heard, but _bad things_ have happened to superbaddies who have the _gall_ to mess with _my friends_! _FINAL SHINE ATTACK!_"

Nick thrust his right hand towards Kid Rocket's chair and unleashed a powerful blast of neon-green energy that struck the chair and exploded violently, tearing through the chair like a hot knife through bread and destroying it effortlessly. When the remains of the chair crumpled to the ground, Kid Rocket tumbled out of the wreckage, slightly covered in soot from the explosion but otherwise unharmed.

Kid Rocket's helmet fell off to reveal Jason Hightower, just as the spies had suspected. The oddity of this, however, was that he seemed unaware of his surroundings with the helmet of Kid Rocket off.

"Wait, it _was_ Jason this whole time?!" Clover exclaimed.

"Hold on, Clover," May quipped. "He doesn't seem to know where he is, which must mean..."

May took a closer look at Jason and saw that, sure enough, there was a transmitter planted on the back of his head.

"Wait, so he was being controlled, too?" Bridget wondered. "What's this all about?"

"I am _so confused_ right now," Nozomi sighed.

"You and me both," Yuki responded.

All of a sudden, Nick's X-Powder began to chirp, and he opened it to reveal Jerry waiting for him as always. "How goes the mission, spies?" Jerry asked.

Sam walked back in after returning with a bunch of parents, no doubt freed from the transmitters' control after Nick had destroyed Kid Rocket's flying chair.

"Well, we beat Kid Rocket and saved all of the missing parents, from the looks of things," Sam proclaimed.

"But here's the real weirdness, Jer," Alex continued. "Nick destroyed Kid Rocket's chair thingy and knocked his helmet off, and it actually _was_ that Zooney World kid, but he had one of those transmitters on him like all the others."

"That _is_ very peculiar," Jerry replied. "I'll send a jet to pick Jason up and see if his father knows anything about what's been going on."

"Hey, we never considered that," May answered. "What if his father's behind this in some way?"

"But he actually _did _apologize for how he treated Jason, remember?" Clover quipped.

"It's been some time since then, though," Nick stated. "Things can change incredibly quickly when it comes to us."

Mrs. Iwakura, despite being a rational thinker most of the time, was _still_ incredibly confused. "Um, May, dearie, what exactly is all of this?" she asked.

"I... guess I have some explaining to do, huh?" May answered. "But let's get out of here so Jerry can come pick up all of these missing parents. There's a good bit to tell, honestly."

And so, May and the Jellyfish Pirates led everyone out of the warehouse into open sunlight, where Jerry and his W.O.O.H.P. jet was waiting.

Meanwhile, somewhere far away from the warehouse, a man stepped out of a taxi after paying the driver and gazed upon the vistas of the city he'd once called home.

"Wow, it hasn't really changed much," Johnny admitted. "But first things first... I wonder if May's still in town?"

_To be continued..._

* * *

On the next episode...

Clover: I was so hoping that would have been the end of the case. We would have set a record for fastest case-solving _ever_!

Haruka: You of all people should know it's never _that_ easy, Clove.

May: And hey, even if we did solve the case right here, there's still a few chapters to go, so there's obviously more story beyond that.

Bridget: Say, you said that this Johnny fella taught you martial arts, right?

May: Yeah, why?

Bridget: Because I think that's him down the street.

May: Omigosh, omigosh, JOHNNY!

Johnny: Heh, good to see you too, May.

Alex: Well, we can call this a big, happy reunion, can't we? ...Nick, what's wrong?

Nick: I dunno... does something not feel right to you? Well, I guess we'll find out next time on _Totally Spies: Shattered Memories_, "Dissonance"!

May: ...oh, sorry, I was humming the theme song. It's really catchy, y'know?


	2. Dissonance

_Previously on Shattered Memories..._

All of a sudden, Nick's X-Powder began to chirp, and he opened it to reveal Jerry waiting for him as always. "How goes the mission, spies?" Jerry asked.

Sam walked back in after returning with a bunch of parents, no doubt freed from the transmitters' control after Nick had destroyed Kid Rocket's flying chair.

"Well, we beat Kid Rocket and saved all of the missing parents, from the looks of things," Sam proclaimed.

"But here's the real weirdness, Jer," Alex continued. "Nick destroyed Kid Rocket's chair thingy and knocked his helmet off, and it actually _was_ that Zooney World kid, but he had one of those transmitters on him like all the others."

"That _is_ very peculiar," Jerry replied. "I'll send a jet to pick Jason up and see if his father knows anything about what's been going on."

"Hey, we never considered that," May answered. "What if his father's behind this in some way?"

"But he actually _did _apologize for how he treated Jason, remember?" Clover quipped.

"It's been some time since then, though," Nick stated. "Things can change incredibly quickly when it comes to us."

Mrs. Iwakura, despite being a rational thinker most of the time, was _still_ incredibly confused. "Um, May, dearie, what exactly is all of this?" she asked.

"I... guess I have some explaining to do, huh?" May answered. "But let's get out of here so Jerry can come pick up all of these missing parents. There's a good bit to tell, honestly."

And so, May and the Jellyfish Pirates led everyone out of the warehouse into open sunlight, where Jerry and his W.O.O.H.P. jet was waiting.

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Shattered Memories  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** October 12th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The fifth joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger. May Iwakura has a pretty good life, all things considered. She has a circle of close friends, not to mention being an agent of W.O.O.H.P., ready and vigilant to thwart evildoers and nutcases. But once again, the past refuses to stay buried. When parents begin to go missing in Japan, it seems like another normal case for W.O.O.H.P, until May finds her own parents among those missing. During their mission, May will reunite with her old friend circle, the Jellyfish Pirates, in hopes of finding her missing parents and, if rumors are to be believed, stop a psychopath who may be responsible for the dissolution of the Jellyfish Pirates...

**On Today's Episode: **Despite finding Jason Hightower under the mask of Kid Rocket, it seems like this case isn't over just yet. While searching for whoever was controlling Jason, another reunion with a former Jellyfish Pirate has May over the moon until the culprit behind Ami's murder three years ago resurfaces, intent on finishing the job they started. The spies will definitely have their hands full searching for the person who controlled Jason alongside dealing with the killer...

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and I do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

* * *

Episode 2: Dissonance

"And that's pretty much all there is to tell," May concluded as she and her parents returned home, the rest of the spies close behind them.

"So, you came all the way back to Japan just to rescue us?" Mr. Iwakura asked.

"Why _wouldn't _I, dad?" May replied. "You're my parents. It definitely helps that W.O.O.H.P. has technology that can get us places _extremely fast_ so we don't waste any time."

"Actually, I was the one who suggested we book it for Japan," Nick quipped. "They made it _personal_ by messing with my friends."

"Oh, is this your boyfriend, May?" Mrs. Iwakura giggled.

May's reaction was _glorious_, her face lighting up almost instantly and causing her to start stuttering. "B-b-BOYFRIEND?!" May exclaimed. "Mom, seriously, don't assume things! His _actual _girlfriend is standing _right there_!"

"Hello," Alex quipped.

"Oh, I'm just teasing you, silly," Mrs. Iwakura laughed.

"Classic parent stuff," Clover quipped.

"Say, Sammy, do _our_ parents even know that we have boyfriends?" Alex asked.

"Honestly, no clue," Sam replied. "But let's worry about that later. We still have a case to solve, after all."

"Will you be all right, May?" Mr. Iwakura asked.

"Hey, I've got a bunch of friends to watch my back just in case things go south," May admitted. "_And_ I've got the Jellyfish Pirates back as well!"

"The Jellyfish Pirates? Oh, my gosh, I never thought we'd see them again after poor Ami died..." Mrs. Iwakura stated.

"That's what I thought, too," May quipped. "I'm more worried about _you_. I mean, what if this creepo comes gunning for you while we're out looking for him?"

"Already thought of that," Jerry's voice resounded from May's X-Powder. "We're sending over some agents to protect your parents while you're on the case."

"Thanks, Jerry," May replied. "You're a real lifesaver."

With Mr. and Mrs. Iwakura safely back in their home, now guarded by a trio of W.O.O.H.P. agents, the spies and Jellyfish Pirates returned to the city to search for...

...well, whoever it was they were searching for.

"Anyone know who we're supposed to be looking for here?" Melissa asked.

"Jerry hasn't gotten back to us yet," Bridget answered. "So, I guess until then, we're mostly just tourists."

"How about we show you guys around here?" April offered. "I'm pretty sure none of you have been to Tachikawa sans May, and Nick, since May said he lived in a different part of Tokyo."

May would have made a comment on that had she not noticed someone approaching their group.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Jellyfish herself."

And May _definitely_ knew that voice.

She slowly turned around, and sure enough, there he was.

"Omigosh, omigosh, JOHNNY!" May shrieked, catching the rest of the group off guard as she raced over to throw herself at Johnny, the former "captain" of the Jellyfish Pirates, May's first crush, and her martial arts teacher.

"Easy, May, easy," Johnny laughed. "It's good to see you, too. While we're here, why don't you introduce me to your new friends?"

And May proceeded to do just that.

"I'm pretty sure you must be Johnny," said Nozomi. "We heard May say that name on our last mission."

"You'd be right on that," said Johnny. "You're good."

"Yes, that's Nozomi for ya," May began.

She then ran through everyone's names. After Nozomi, May started with Sam and ended with Dawn. Johnny seemed to be surprised himself at hearing Sam and Alex have boyfriends of their own in Nick and Mat; he seemed to be just as surprised at hearing Mat was originally from Hawaii.

"Mat and I are in similar boats," said Nick.

"Yep," said Mat. "My parents went back home to Hawaii, but not me because I couldn't leave my new best friends – especially my love."

He gently clutched Sam, who returned the favor.

"Not mine, though," said Nick. "Haruka and the others are all I have – especially Alex."

Alex was happy to oblige when Nick held her.

"So, you all are spies?" Johnny asked.

"That's right," said Sam. "Though this has to stay between all of us."

"They told us the same thing," Yuki said to Johnny.

"May's a part of W.O.O.H.P. now," Mat pointed out.

"Seems like she's in good hands with all of you," Johnny commented.

The rest of the Jellyfish Pirates nodded in agreement.

"So, what's your backstory about May having a crush on you?" Mat asked Johnny.

"And how were you named captain?" Clover asked.

"Well, it really started rather simply," Johnny started. "I was in sixth grade and May third when the Jellyfish Pirates were formed, since I had inadvertently helped them stop a bully."

"It was his idea to form our 'organization' in the first place, and that's why we made him 'captain'," May replied. "Though we were out of contact until we all reached sixth grade because he was older than us by a couple years, we all met up again in middle school and continued the legacy of the Jellyfish Pirates!"

"And really, May was definitely crushing on me in middle school, but... the problem was, I already had a girlfriend by that time," Johnny admitted. "So there wasn't much I could do about that. But, honestly, May took it really well."

"About two years before Ami died, I realized that I wanted to be able to protect people, and considering anti-bully efforts wouldn't always be enough, I asked Johnny to teach me martial arts," May continued. "Those lessons were _brutal_, but Johnny knew I could handle it, so I persevered. And thanks to that, now I can kick all sorts of butt!"

Just as their explanations wrapped up, Haruka heard a ping on her phone and she checked it out. The spies gave her full privacy, except Alex went with her to stand guard in case of a secret attack from the main villain. Thankfully, there was no attack and both girls returned to the group.

"Where'd you go now, Haruka?" Nick asked quietly.

"I found out my presents for Sam and Mat are finished," Haruka quietly answered.

"So, we'll bring you up to speed about _us _now," said Melissa to Johnny.

The twelve other spies gave Johnny the details.

"Well, super glad you got May's parents safe," Johnny commented.

"That's step one," said Britney.

"Totally," said Dawn. "Let's go, everybody, we've got a slimeball to stop."

"And avenge my parents' kidnappings!" May added.

"More importantly," said Alex. "_Who is _the slimeball behind all this?"

"It's certainly not Jason Hightower," said Clover. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but... thank goodness."

"You gotta give him one thing: he does make a valid point about parents not being home with their kids more often," said Mat.

"I'll say," said Bridget.

The group continued on and looked in all directions. Mat and Nick were the first ones to hear a noise and think a sneak attack was on the horizon.

"You heard that, right, Mat?" Nick asked.

"How could I not?" Mat answered.

The two boys stayed tense, ready to react at a moment's notice.

"Did she _really_ think you were Nick's boyfriend?" Johnny asked.

"Well, mom hadn't met any of my friends until we snapped them out of their daze," May answered. "So it was a typical mom question. I was more worried that Alex was going to freak out when mom said that. Even if Alex doesn't seem the type to freak out over a misunderstanding, I didn't want to take the risk..."

"Nick seems like a really cool dude from how much you talk about him," Johnny quipped, leaning towards May to ask her something in secret. "Be honest with me, would you have wanted to, you know, _pursue_ him if we wasn't with Alex?"

"Well, I _did_ entertain the thought before I knew he had a girlfriend," May admitted. "But those two are such the perfect couple that I couldn't bear to do anything to mess that up."

A loud shout caught May's attention, and she looked up just in time to see Mat diving to push Sam down to the ground, as something soared over her head and embedded itself in a nearby wall.

"What the heck was that?" May wondered, moving closer to inspect the strange object. "It's... a kunai?"

"MAY, GET DOWN!" Nick screamed, enveloping May in his psychic grip and snapping his hand down to send her to the ground as well. May only had time to look up as another kunai flew over where she'd just been standing.

"Okay, who's the wanna-be Naruto that's trying to knife us?!" May exclaimed as she leaped back to her feet.

The answer to that came in the form of someone approaching the group, a female looking about two or three years older than Johnny, with long, flowing blonde hair and blue eyes with dark eyelashes, and wearing a yellow blouse with black hemlines. She was also carrying a blood-stained katana in her hands, and murderous intent flashed in her eyes.

"Okay, that is twenty kinds of nope," Clover proclaimed, opening her X-Powder to change into her spy suit, the rest of the spies following suit.

"You wanna explain yourself, lady?" Bridget challenged.

"And maybe take, like, _fifty_ steps back, because the way you're holding that bread-cutter makes me think you don't just have petty revenge or some other crazy scheme on your mind," Alex stated.

The woman simply spun her katana in what could be assumed was a challenge. "I am simply here to finish what I started," the woman proclaimed. "Don't get in my way or I'll cut _every last one of you_ down."

"Um, wacko chick, we don't even know you! What the heck are you trying to _finish_?!" Nozomi shouted.

Johnny looked thoroughly at the strange woman, until he suddenly remembered something from a few years ago, and he realized who was most likely attacking them right now.

"Hold on just a minute," Johnny proclaimed. "Weren't you supposed to be locked up for _at least_ twenty years?!"

"No mere prison cell can hold me for long," the woman responded.

"Wait, Johnny, you _know_ this nutjob?" Sam asked.

"How could I ever forget that face and what she did?" Johnny growled. "This is Millia. She's a self-proclaimed 'assassin of the dishonorable', even though all she did was kill people with no remorse when she realized they did even the slightest of bad things."

"What did she mean by 'finish what she...'" May asked, only to trail off as something clicked in her head.

Millia simply aimed her katana towards the spies. "One step closer and you _die_."

Despite the threat, May raised her fists in response, a positively _murderous_ expression suddenly highlighting her face.

"..._you're_ the one who killed Ami, aren't you?" May growled, causing the rest of the spies to gasp in surprise. "Remember her? Tachikawa Ami? About my age? A girl so full of life, reduced to _begging_ and _pleading_ for mercy even as you _ignored _her pleading and drove a _blade into her heart?!_"

"Hmmmm... I do seem to recall ending someone by that description," Millia proclaimed as if it was the most casual thing in the world. "If she was felled by my blade, she must have deserved it somehow."

May screamed so loudly that it echoed throughout the area, and charged forward with every intent of ripping Millia to pieces with her bare hands.

"That was my _friend_, you _bitch_!" May shrieked, throwing punches and kicks that were all easily dodged by Millia. "What did she _ever_ do to you that made you think you had to _kill her_?!"

Millia simply raised a foot and kicked May in the stomach, forcing her to stumble backwards, before going on the offensive herself. Thankfully, May quickly recovered herself and began easily dodging Millia's sword swings.

"Stand still so I can _kick your ass_ for what you did, lady!" May exclaimed.

"Your head will be the next to fall under my blade," Millia proclaimed, ducking to throw May off so that she dodged low, only to raise her katana and slice it downwards, fully intending to behead May right there.

Nick quickly stopped that from happening, firing off a quick burst of psychic power that sent Millia stumbling backwards with katana in hand.

May swiftly righted herself as Nick rushed over to join her, his psychic aura exploding to life around him.

"You are going to pay _dearly_ for what you've done, you understand me?!" Nick exclaimed, his psychic aura tinted slightly orange, as if reflecting his emotions.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" Millia taunted. "I have killed fighters far older and more skilled than you."

"Well, if you're that sure..." May proclaimed.

"...then why don't you just come at us..." Nick continued.

Nick and May reached out to hold hands as Nick's aura pulsed and flared ominously.

"...and see _first-hand_ just what you've awakened?!" Nick and May shouted at the same time.

"Oh, _this_ should be good," said Mat.

"That's almost like you and me on the last mission, Mat," said Sam.

"I was gonna say..." Mat quipped.

"You got this, Nick!" Haruka shouted from the sidelines.

"We're all behind you!" Sam shouted.

Nick and May charged forward and began with a double kick – May for Millia herself, and Nick to her wrist to knock the katana out of Millia's hand yet again.

"Yeah, try and fight us without your dumb butter knife!" Nick taunted, pushing Millia away with a short-range psychic shockwave.

"You fight well for teenagers," Millia admitted. "But that won't stop me from killing you."

May simply stood her ground as Millia came closer to her, only to duck under the assassin's palm strike and bring both of her fists down on Millia's back, causing her to crash to the ground.

"Oh, I've got a lot more in me, you psychopath," May growled, yanking Millia back to her feet by her arm, then slugging her in the stomach to send her tumbling backwards.

Millia was able to get back to her feet, then eyed the other ten spies nearby after retrieving her katana.

"Uh oh, she's coming for us," said Britney.

"New targets now," said Millia, charging for the ten spies.

"SCATTER!" Sam screamed.

All ten went in different directions – well, Mat following Sam. Lo and behold, Millia threw her katana in Mat's direction. Luckily, Sam saw it with time to spare.

"Say your prayers," Millia smirked as the katana got closer to Mat.

"Not if I can help it..." said Sam.

She threw one of her gadgets to try and deflect the katana to buy her a bit more time so she could pull Mat out of harm's way simultaneously. The katana just barely grazed Mat's foot, which made him breathe in relief.

"Whew! Thanks, Sammy," Mat said with a grin on his face. "I owe you BIG time!"

He found the time to cover Sam's lips with a kiss, which Sam willfully returned.

"I suppose the feeling's mutual," Mat went on as he helped Sam to her feet.

Fortunately, Millia was having a tough time getting her katana pulled out of the ground.

"This isn't over... yet!" Millia cackled as she DID pull her katana out.

Britney, Clover, and Haruka were quick to react to stall Millia, encircling her in a triangle formation to keep her in one place.

"Now try and get past us!" Clover shouted.

"Gladly," Millia cackled, spinning around with her katana extended, forcing the three to back up slightly. However, this gave Millia the space she needed to escape the formation.

Sam looked up at the beams on the ceiling. As Millia continued to attack the other spies in the meantime, Sam's instincts kicked in.

"I've got an idea," She said. "Mat, come with me."

Mat was quick to see Sam activate her expandable cable bungee belt on her green spy jumpsuit. He followed Sam and both ascended to the ceiling. Simultaneously, Nick, Melissa, and Dawn had just did a triple team-up after May got to a safe spot.

"Okay, Sam, what's your idea?" Mat asked.

"We're gonna try to catch that nut off guard from here while she's distracted," Sam replied.

"Okay, I think I got what you have in mind," said Mat. "Let's do this, babe!"

"You may have numbers on your side, but that doesn't mean you're any closer to winning," Millia laughed. "And you should all count your lucky stars that I'm not after you. I only have one target on my list today."

Nick quickly unleashed a Final Shine Attack that Millia just barely dodged. "Don't even _think_ about it," Nick growled. "You touch May and my next Final Shine's going for your _head_."

"Oh, so suddenly you're all sweet on her?" Millia taunted. "I thought the brat in the _yellow_ suit was your love interest."

"I see where you're going with this, and you can _stuff it_," Nick shot back. "Yes, Alex is my girlfriend, but May is a really wonderful friend of mine, as is everyone else in this group. So don't you _dare _try and get into my head with your sick mind games!"

Nick charged towards Millia even as she raised her katana to attack him.

"Oh, what, are you charging head-long into your death, boy?!" Millia laughed, swinging her katana...

...only for Sam and Mat to come flying down from the ceiling and land directly on Millia's back, pushing her to the ground and causing her to lose her katana.

"HA! I _knew_ that would work!" Sam exclaimed.

"Get _off_ of me, you wretches!" Millia growled.

In response, Mat simply smirked. "Okay."

Sam and Mat leaped off, leaving Millia to wonder just why they'd relented...

...only for May to come running in, diving to the ground and sliding forward so she could smash her foot into Millia's face and push her back even farther.

"Give it up, Millia," May proclaimed, picking up Millia's katana and smashing it against the ground, breaking it in half. "You're _not _taking me out today."

"Curses," Millia proclaimed, before retreating swiftly. "This isn't the last you'll see of me!"

"Wait!" Alex shouted.

"Leave her," Nick stated. "She's not worth it right now. We'll take care of her once we've rounded up whoever's responsible for kidnapping all of the parents."

Nick was about to walk back to the group when he noticed that May was looking noticeably tearful now that the anger of discovering Ami's killer had faded.

"May, you doing okay?" Nick asked, only for May to leap at him. Nick quickly opened his arms so he could hug May.

"I just... I honestly didn't think it was going to get me this badly after all this time..." May replied, on the verge of tears. "And it doesn't help that... oh, _god_, Nick, _why did she kill Ami?!_ It doesn't make any sense!"

"Hey, hey, we're going to get to the bottom of this, I _promise_ you that," Nick responded. "We're going to take her down, and we'll avenge Ami. I mean it, May."

"I know you do," May replied, leaning up to kiss Nick on the cheek, hoping that Alex wouldn't take it the wrong way.

Thankfully, Alex just smiled, knowing what May was probably feeling right now.

"Should... should we give them a moment?" April asked.

"Yeah, I think we'd better give them some space," Souji answered.

So, the spies all began to discuss aspects of this case with the Jellyfish Pirates, opting to let Nick and May have their moment. After all, this had been exactly how May had felt when she'd learned the news that Ami had been killed three years ago.

After a few minutes, May was feeling reasonably better, so she and Nick decided to rejoin the spies.

"Thanks for cheering me up, Nick," May stated.

"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Nick replied.

Sneaking in another kiss to Nick's cheek, May smiled at him before they rejoined the group, just in time for Sam's X-Powder to chirp.

"Must be Jerry," Sam replied. "Have an update for us, Jer?"

"Yes, Sam," said Jerry as his visage appeared. "The W.O.O.H.P. Containment Facility called and... oh dear."

"That didn't sound like a breath of fresh air, Jerry," said Mat.

"I was hoping she was long gone," Jerry went on.

"_WHO?!_" Clover shouted, getting impatient.

Jerry kept silent and let us see for ourselves.

"Mrs. Quivers?!" Alex exclaimed.

"The one who kidnapped the President's daughter!" Sam exclaimed.

"Madison, right?" Mat asked.

Alex nodded.

"Why would _she_ be involved?!" Melissa asked.

"Beats me," said Dawn.

"Is it just me, or does the W.O.O.H.P. Containment Facility have more leaks than a faulty water main?" asked Mat.

Jerry merely cleared his throat.

"That's not all," said Jerry. "According to Jason Hightower, it appears Mr. Hightower is also involved."

"Well, what are we waiting for, everybody?" Bridget proclaimed. "Let's go do some stomping!"

"Music to my ears," Clover stated.

"You gonna be all right, May?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, don't worry too much, 'kay?" May giggled. "Let's do what Bridget said and stomp this nutball."

"Why would Mr. Hightower be involved, too?" Britney asked.

"No idea," said Sam. "But he DID make amends with Jason after all was said and done."

"Right," said Mat. "You and I teamed up there."

"Whatever it is," said Haruka. "I _don't_ think he mistreated Jason again."

"There's a good chance Quivers likely has some kind of hand in that," said Nick.

"Right," said Mat. "And hopefully Mr. Hightower _didn't_ mistreat Jason again, too."

"Totally," said Clover, remembering that mission. "That was a _total_ looney-fest!"

"Damn straight," said Alex.

"Any ideas now, Jer?" Mat asked, realizing they hadn't hung up on Jerry yet.

"Uh-huh," said Dawn. "Where do we head now?"

"I tracked that lady that you all fought to a condemned building at the edge of Tachikawa," Jerry answered. "It seems Nick was right about prioritizing abandoned dwellings."

"It's in the villain rules, after all," Nick quipped.

"Really? Okay then," said Bridget.

"I'll look into what Jason Hightower said about his dad in the meantime," said Jerry.

"Thanks, Jerry," said Sam as she hung up and closed her X-Powder.

"I don't suppose it'd hurt to check on May's parents first, would it?" Mat asked.

"That actually sounds like a good idea, bro," said Nick. "We DO have to figure out a plan of attack anyway."

Then again, May's parents were in good hands with W.O.O.H.P. agents at their home.

"I guess we should wait a bit," said May in agreement. "I know W.O.O.H.P. is trustworthy, but seeing my parents are okay may be what I need."

That was exactly what the twelve spies did. Millia certainly wasn't going anywhere after May destroyed her katana.

**4:00 PM – Iwakura Residence**

May definitely started to feel much better when her parents served the twelve spies some quick refreshments, as well as the Jellyfish Pirates.

"You all seem to be very tight for a group of friends," said Mrs. Iwakura to the W.O.O.H.P. spies.

"Yes, you can say that," said Bridget.

The Iwakuras smiled quite a bit at hearing the backstories of how Mat and Nick became spies themselves, as did Haruka, Bridget, and Nozomi as well; up next was the spies' last two missions – with Nick stopping Genesis and the Kevin imposter, and saving Melissa and Dawn; next was Mat's "Supercross heartbreak" from the 2006 Las Vegas finale and how he was brainwashed by Geraldine Husk and Natalie Valentine. They both had their hearts touched at how Mat met Sam and fell in love, as did Nick and Alex.

"Listen, what we all told you, shouldn't leave this room," said Sam to May's parents.

"Very well," said Mrs. Iwakura. "We understand completely."

"Thank you," said Britney. "It's between all of us only."

As was semi-expected, Haruka had stepped away to tend to her business with her presents for Mat and Sam yet again.

"Man, I've had to jump through some hoops to keep this a secret from those two," Haruka quipped. "But I still say it's worth it to keep those two high in spirit after last time."

After dropping the present into the nearby mailbox, Haruka returned just in time to hear Sam's X-Powder chirp.

"We better go," said Nozomi. "Thanks for the refreshments."

**5:11 PM – Millia's Hideout**

The spies and the Jellyfish Pirates set out to find Millia and Mrs. Quivers. W.O.O.H.P. employees returned to stand guard of the Iwakura residence as the spies set out. Sam then answered Jerry's call.

"Sorry for the holdup, Jerry... what's up? You got anything confirming Jason's story?"

"Jason said his father was acting strangely in the past couple weeks," Jerry answered. "Mayhap due to whatever Quivers is making him do. So even if Mr. Hightower was the one who made Jason into Kid Rocket to steal all of the parents, it most likely wasn't of his own volition."

"Thanks, Jer," said Sam. "We're good to go."

With that, the spies reached the coordinates Jerry gave them, Sam leading the way.

"Okay, Millia!" May called out. "Are you woman enough to show yourself _NOW... or not?!_"

May got the answer to that question almost immediately when Millia came into view...

...carrying another katana in her hands.

"You know, why am I not surprised you had another one?" May groaned.

"A true assassin always prepares for the worst," Millia responded. "You may have gotten lucky the last time, but you will not escape my wrath now."

"Oh, really?" Nick shot back, his psychic aura flaring to life around him. "You've still got a lot to answer for, Millia, and I intend to see that _you_ _do_."

"Very well, then," Millia laughed. "Steel your nerves and _prepare for death_!"

Millia raised her katana and charged for the spies, intent on finishing off her primary target, May, first. However, Nick was already on defense, projecting a barrier in front of May to stop Millia in her tracks.

"You tried that last time," Nick quipped. "What _honestly_ makes you think it's gonna work a second time?"

Millia simply ducked around the barrier and slashed at Nick, who easily dodged the strike and lashed out with a punch to Millia's gut, dazing her long enough for May to leapfrog over Nick and come down with a double-fisted overhead slam to Millia's head that sent the young assassin sprawling to the ground.

"Eat _that_!" May exclaimed, only to lurch backwards to just barely avoid an upward swing from Millia. Nick sent the assassin flying backwards with a Final Shine Attack.

"Now are you gonna give it up?!" Nick exclaimed, his aura pulsing.

"A true assassin never lets petty fighters stop them from completing their duty," Millia seethed as she rushed back in.

"Hey, is it me, or does it seem weird to anyone that none of these villains we fight seem to be _any_ sort of fazed by the fact that Nick has _psychic powers_?" Alex asked, lashing out with a palm strike to Millia's face.

"I've always wondered that, honestly," Bridget quipped as she activated Sonic Mode and rushed down Millia at least five times.

One last lightning-fast right hook from Bridget sent Millia flying back into a nearby door, which crashed open to reveal Mrs. Quivers holding a pistol at a scared Mr. Hightower, who sat at a desktop.

"It IS Quivers after all!" Clover gasped.

"Stay on it, peeps," Nick quipped.

The spies kept quiet that Jason was safe back at W.O.O.H.P. as they approached.

"Well, well, spies," Mrs. Quivers laughed. "It's been a while since I've seen you. And it looks like you've gained some extra members in your little club since the last we met."

"All right, cut the crap, lady," Mat shot back. "What's your game plan?"

"And exactly _why _are you holding a pistol to Mr. Hightower's face?" Nick growled. "We've already got one assassin to deal with here."

"Please, just tell me where my son is," Mr. Hightower gasped, clearly fearing for his life.

Nick winked to the spies, messaging that he had an idea.

"I'll only tell you _after_ you release the prisoner I told you to," Mrs. Quivers proclaimed. "You, of all people, should know I won't stop until my husband is out of jail."

"You're _seriously_ going on about that, lady?!" Clover exclaimed. "What _is_ it with villains always trying the same schemes that failed on them before?!"

"Oh, yes, _that_," Mrs. Quivers replied. "This time, however, I brought backup. A _good_ villain always learns from their mistakes."

Mrs. Quivers reached for a device in her pocket and pressed a button. After a few seconds, loud, robotic footsteps began to resound.

"Um, does anyone hear _really loud_ footsteps and think 'maybe we oughta move'?" Alex asked the rest of the spies.

Sure enough, as soon as Alex had asked her question, something smashed through the skyline.

"She's right! MOVE IT, NOW!" Yuki exclaimed, and the entire group, even Millia, scattered to avoid the rain of glass and debris from the ceiling as whatever had broken through emerged. Despite her best efforts, one piece of debris collided with Millia's back, apparently knocking her unconscious.

It turned out to be a gigantic spider mecha, much like the smaller one Mrs. Quivers had once used to kidnap Madison, only, well, _much_ larger. The mech heavily resembled the Japanese kaiju Kumonga in looks.

"Okay, _mega ick_," Alex shuddered even as Nick slid closer to put his arm around her. "Even now, spiders still yuck me out."

"What's with the robot spider kaiju, lady?" Nick challenged. "You're really giving me flashbacks to that one Godzilla movie, and that thing was _enough _for me."

"Seriously, I had to look away every time that thing was on screen," Alex admitted.

"Quite simple, really," Mrs. Quivers laughed as Mecha Kumonga lowered a cable for her to grab onto so it could lift her to its cockpit. "If Mr. Hightower won't give me what I want, I'll simply use this robot to smash this city apart brick by brick until he gives me what I want."

Not waiting for an answer, Mrs. Quivers activated the controls and piloted Mecha Kumonga away from the building and towards Tachikawa.

"Okay, that presents a _real_ problem!" Haruka shouted. "We've gotta stop her before she tears the city up!"

"But what about little miss sword nut?" Melissa asked, gesturing to the unconscious Millia.

"We'll take care of that," Johnny proclaimed. "Us Jellyfish Pirates will get her up and take her in to the police station so she can finally answer for her crimes."

"Yeah, you all just go and stop that metal kaiju before she tears up the city and we'll join you once Millia's finally behind bars," May answered.

Sam nodded and began shouting battle plans as the other spies exited the building to pursue the Mecha Kumonga, leaving Nick, May, and the Jellyfish Pirates to tend to the out-of-commission Millia.

"Well, time to get you to the police," Johnny proclaimed, stepping closer to Millia so he could pick her up. "You've caused us enough trouble today."

"Well, Nick, we finally got her," May giggled. "It feels good to finally apprehend this nutcase after what she did to Ami."

"No kidding," Nick replied. "Question is, should we just leave her to the local cops or see if W.O.O.H.P. can contain her?"

"With the way people have been breaking out of that place lately..." May sighed dramatically.

"Hey, Millia's just a normal person with weapons," Nick quipped. "No freaky powers, no psycho serums, no heartbreak-fueled GPS crap. I think they'll be able to hold her just fine."

However, as Johnny was lifting the unconscious Millia out of the rubble, Millia's eyes suddenly sprang open and she wrenched herself out of Johnny's grip before reaching down to grab her katana...

...and drive the blade through Johnny's chest.

Everyone present could only stare in shock.

"I told you someone was going to die today," Millia growled. "Your foolish mistake for letting your guard down."

Even as Johnny struggled to extract the katana from his body, Millia did the job for him, wrenching the blade from his chest and causing him to cough up blood.

Millia then spun around and tossed her katana towards the Jellyfish Pirates. Thankfully, Yuki and April were able to dodge away from it, but it accomplished Millia's intent. By the time the katana clattered to the ground, Millia had vanished from sight.

After four seconds that felt like an agonizing eternity, May finally found the feeling in her legs and charged over to catch Johnny before he fell to the ground, tears already falling from her eyes.

"Johnny, come on, don't give up on me! _Please_ stay with us!" May shrieked, hoping that they could save him.

April was already on her phone, calling the paramedics to quickly come to their location.

May held her breath as Johnny looked up at her, still hoping that he could be saved in time.

Even if she knew, deep down, that it was just a false hope.

"H-Hey," Johnny gasped, his voice weak and soft. "Don't worry about me."

"Y-You _always_ said that," May stuttered, trying not to have a breakdown. "You _always_ told us not to worry about you, even when you got hurt real bad!"

Johnny, with what little strength still remained, reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge.

A silver badge embedded with a dolphin wrapped around an anchor.

May gasped in shock at the sight of the badge. Yuki had gotten it custom-made for May to give to Johnny, signifying him as the "captain" of the Jellyfish Pirates.

"Y-yeah... I kept it," Johnny admitted. "After all this time... I still... held on to it..."

"W-Why?" May asked.

"Because... I wanted to... give it... to you, May," Johnny coughed, reaching out and pinning the badge to May's hoodie. "I... thought about it... and... I decided... that you're worthy, May. Please... take care of the Jellyfish Pirates for me. You're... you're the new captain now."

Before May could respond, Johnny's entire body went limp.

"J-Johnny? Johnny, please wake up! _Please _don't leave me!" May exclaimed, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.

Souji walked up and put two fingers on Johnny's neck before solemnly shaking his head.

"J-Johnny?" May asked. "Johnny?!"

No response.

Finally, it sank in for May, and she burst into a crying fit.

"JOHNNY!" May screamed before she could only keep crying.

The remaining Jellyfish Pirates were silent, Mira even bowing her head and praying for Johnny despite her own tears.

The silence was broken when Nick's psychic aura exploded to life around him with such overwhelming force that it actually cracked and splintered the concrete underneath him, creating a small crater below his feet.

And instead of the simple bright gold Nick's psychic aura usually was, his aura was now tinted shades of red.

April looked up just in time to see the paramedics arrive just outside the building.

"You all take care of this," Nick stated, walking up to May and taking her hand so he could lead her away from the paramedics. "We'll be back."

The other Jellyfish Pirates nodded in assent, knowing May needed some space (and because they didn't want to explain to the paramedics why Nick was glowing) and went to explain what had happened.

"N-Nick?" May asked, her tears still falling.

"She's not going to get away with this, May," Nick proclaimed, and despite her grief, May was shocked to see that Nick was shedding a few tears as well. "No way in _hell_."

"W-Why are _you_ c-crying?" May asked, before her own tears got the better of her and she began crying loudly. Nick immediately pulled her into a fierce hug, giving all the comfort he could give her.

"Because when my best friends are sad, it makes me sad, too," Nick answered simply and truthfully.

May just hugged Nick back, seeking comfort in the warmth he exuded. "Y-You... you really are the best friend a girl like me could _ever_ have, you know that?" May stated.

"We're going to find Millia, and we're _both_ going to make sure she can never pull a stunt like this _ever again_," Nick proclaimed. "I promise you that, May."

"S-Should we go help the others?" May asked.

"Do _you_ feel like going?" Nick asked.

May blinked a few times to stem the flow of her tears for the moment and steel her nerves.

"Quivers is going to destroy the city if we don't stop her," May replied. "And I _don't want to lose anyone else today_."

"You won't," Nick stated. "I'll see to it _personally_."

May nodded and kissed Nick on the cheek out of gratitude as he opened his X-Powder to contact the other spies.

"What's the sit-rep, Nick?" Sam asked.

"We're still in pursuit of the metal kaiju!" Clover exclaimed, holding on for dear life. "What's happening over there?"

"...wait, Nick, are you _crying_?" Mat asked. "What's going on?"

Nick sighed before explaining. "...Johnny's dead. Millia killed him and escaped."

Despite the gasps of shock from the spies, Nick didn't let that get to him. "We're on our way to you now," Nick continued. "If you get a chance, call Jerry and tell him to send a squad of his best agents _on the double_. We've officially got a killer on the loose."

Nick closed his X-Powder before glancing one last time at May. "Are you gonna be okay, May?" Nick asked.

"As long as I have my best friend by my side, I'll be fine," May answered. "After all... I can't grieve for Johnny until we bring his killer to justice."

"Spoken like a true hero, May," Nick quipped. "Let's go join the others."

May wrapped her arms around Nick tightly as he floated into the air and blasted off towards the Mecha Kumonga, hoping they could stop Mrs. Quivers before it was too late...

...and before they added any more casualties to today.

Mat was obviously the most upset as he did a brief prayer with his right hand.

"_I don't believe this!_ We just met him and he was likely the only one who knew how to stop this problem!" Mat exclaimed, looking like he wanted to put a fist through the wall.

"That certainly was a big loss," Haruka deduced.

"But if anybody can still make this a win, it's Nick," said Bridget.

"And us, too," Sam finished.

"I'd hate to see May's face right now," Mat quipped.

"I don't even wanna think about _that_," Clover added.

"Remember, Nick told us to call Jerry," Britney reminded.

"Let me get that," said Mat, getting his GBA-SP out.

"Mission update, spies?" Jerry asked as his visage showed up.

"The mission took a turn for the worst," said Mat. "Nick told us that Millia iced Johnny."

"Oh my," said Jerry.

"And Millia's still on the loose, according to Nick," Alex added.

"Jerry, you gotta send in more W.O.O.H.P. agents!" Sam exclaimed.

"Will do, spies," said Jerry. "What about Mrs. Quivers, by the way?"

"She's definitely behind it like you told us," said Bridget.

"Quivers is using Mr. Hightower to free her husband again," Nozomi went on.

"With a gun to his head, too," said Clover. "We haven't even told him Jason's at W.O.O.H.P."

"Oh my," said Jerry. "I had a feeling she was going to try that again after last time."

"But it's the least of our problems right now," said Haruka.

"Right," said Britney. "Quivers set a giant metal spider on Tachikawa!"

"Any idea how we can stop it, Jerry?" asked Nozomi.

"I can detect structural weaknesses in its underbelly, but you'll most likely have to disable its legs in order to safely attack that spot," Jerry explained.

"So that's it... thanks, Jer," said Sam as Mat closed his SP.

"We didn't get to know Johnny for very long, but this is for him and May!" Mat exclaimed.

The spies nodded in agreement.

"We've got a city to save!" Alex exclaimed.

"I wonder what May's gonna do after this," said Mat. "I hope she doesn't leave W.O.O.H.P., though. Hearing that news really rattled me inside... but I'm not going anywhere – Jerry and W.O.O.H.P. gave _me_ a life after all – and I speak for all of us, too since I know you're in the same boat."

All the spies gave him a nod.

"Through the good and bad," Clover quipped.

When the spies found the Mecha Kumonga in Tachikawa, it had already unleashed a big mess on the city. Buildings were covered in string, and Nick, May, and the Jellyfish Pirates were all having a tough go of things.

"We're here for help now!" Alex exclaimed to Nick.

"Just in time, girls," Nick proclaimed, firing off a few energy bursts to counter the weapons fire from the Mecha Kumonga. "This thing's making quite the mess, like any good spider would."

"Where do we attack this thing?" May asked, holding her emotions in check as best she could.

"There should be a weakness in the underbelly, according to Jerry," Britney replied. "I'm also willing to think that if we can take Mrs. Quivers out of the cockpit, we can stop her that way, too."

"Then Nick and I will take that route," May responded. "You guys try and attack the underbelly, and be careful of those legs."

"Roger that, girlfriend!" Alex proclaimed.

As the rest of the spies moved in to attack from below while Nick and May flew up to the top of the Mecha Kumonga to hopefully wrench control of the mech from Mrs. Quivers.

Nick quickly found the cockpit, a circular glass dome just behind Mecha Kumonga's head. "Well, May, shall we make a house call?" Nick asked.

"Music to my ears," May replied as Nick set her down so they could attack the cockpit together.

Thankfully, it was easy to get Mrs. Quivers' attention, as May struck the cockpit with a snap kick and caused Mrs. Quivers to look back at them.

"I should have figured you'd try to stop me," Mrs. Quivers cackled.

"Open up the dome," May growled. "I'm only going to ask you one time."

"Sorry, dearie, it's reinforced glass," Mrs. Quivers proclaimed. "You can't break it so easily."

Nick answered that by firing a Final Shine Attack into the cockpit dome, swiftly shattering it and allowing May to step closer.

"I'm in a _really_ sour mood right now," May stated, cracking her knuckles slightly. "And since _you're_ the only villain in my sight at the moment, that kinda means I have to take my anger out on you. Now _get over here_!"

May lunged into the cockpit to tackle Mrs. Quivers, and as the two struggled against each other, the Mecha Kumonga began to move and strafe erratically due to no one at the controls.

"Hey, it's moving weird!" Bridget exclaimed.

"I think they've got a hold of Mrs. Quivers," Sam responded. "This could be our chance!"

The spies aimed whatever projectile weapon gadgets they had at the Mecha Kumonga's underbelly, firing at more or less the same time and causing a large explosion at the point of impact.

The Mecha Kumonga lurched to a stop as the spies' attack ruptured its insides, swaying precariously from side to side.

"Um, I think we need to get off this thing, May!" Nick exclaimed. "Grab Mrs. Quivers and let's leap!"

"Got it!" May responded, slipping her handcuffs on Mrs. Quivers and dragging her out of the cockpit so Nick could envelop them all in his psychic grip and jump down to solid ground, falling slowly thanks to Nick's powers.

Once they had landed near where the other spies were waiting, the Mecha Kumonga started to fall towards a nearby building, only to be snared just in time by Nick's psychic hold. Nick slowly directed it to the ground away from any inhabited buildings or streets, as most of the citizens in this area had evacuated pretty quickly when they'd seen a gigantic metal spider coming straight for them.

Naturally, Jerry's W.O.O.H.P. chopper could be seen flying towards them once the Mecha Kumonga had been brought down.

"And down goes the giant spider!" Alex exclaimed. "Please _stay _down, too... ick..."

As a pair of W.O.O.H.P. agents moved in to take the handcuffed Mrs. Quivers onto the helicopter, at least four more agents began to spread out into the city to find Millia per Jerry's orders.

"Well done once again, spies," Jerry proclaimed. "We're currently en route to bringing Jason and his father home safely, and we've got four of our finest tracking down Millia as we speak."

Now that the battle was over for the moment, May felt the grief rising again, though she quickly clamped down on it. After all, she couldn't properly grieve for Johnny until Millia was taken down.

"May, what's the matter?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," May immediately responded.

"That's the same thing you said when we were coming to Japan," Nick answered instantly. "May, if you wanna cry, just go ahead. None of us are going to judge you."

"That'd be the last thing we'd _ever_ do," Sam proclaimed.

"Exactly! We're friends for life, after all!" Clover stated. "And while I may be stingy about fashion, my friends mean _everything_ to me."

"May, if it's any consolation, I know _exactly _how you feel," Bridget explained. "I felt the same way when Jeremy died."

"Remember, May, you've got all of us to help you out," Nozomi stated. "We'll carry you when you can't carry yourself."

"I'm lucky to have so many friends who will pick me up when I'm feeling down," Mat stated. "We wanna do the same for you, May."

Despite the tears that were fighting to find their way out, May couldn't help but smile at the support of her friends.

"T-Thank you... thank you, _everyone_..." May sobbed, trying her best to hold herself together.

But when Nick let his hand rest on her shoulder, May lost all of her composure and threw herself into Nick's arms, crying loudly and letting her emotions run free.

As Nick hugged her back, the other spies joined in, turning it into a group hug.

Nick looked up to the sky, his only thought besides comforting May being finding Millia and making her pay for what she'd done.

_To be continued..._

* * *

On the next episode...

May: Thanks, you guys. You really are the best friends ever...

April: Don't worry, May, we'll help you take down that nutcase! The Jellyfish Pirates will _not_ take this lying down!

Nick: After what Millia's done, there's no way I'm going to _ever_ forgive her.

Millia: Did someone mention me?

Alex: YOU!

Millia: I told you that I would finish what I started, didn't I?

May: Ooh, I'm going to enjoy _ripping you apart_, you sadistic little...

Nick: Focus, May! You know she's trying to get in your head!

May: Oh, I know. She's nuts if she thinks she's going to psych me out now! Come on, Nick, let's _end_ her!

Nick: Exactly what I was thinking. Next time on _Totally Spies: Shattered Memories_, "Consonance"!

May: This is it, Millia! Your rampage ends _right here and now_!


	3. Consonance

_Previously on Shattered Memories..._

Now that the battle was over for the moment, May felt the grief rising again, though she quickly clamped down on it. After all, she couldn't properly grieve for Johnny until Millia was taken down.

"May, what's the matter?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," May immediately responded.

"That's the same thing you said when we were coming to Japan," Nick answered instantly. "May, if you wanna cry, just go ahead. None of us are going to judge you."

"That'd be the last thing we'd _ever_ do," Sam proclaimed.

"Exactly! We're friends for life, after all!" Clover stated. "And while I may be stingy about fashion, my friends mean _everything_ to me."

"May, if it's any consolation, I know _exactly _how you feel," Bridget explained. "I felt the same way when Jeremy died."

"Remember, May, you've got all of us to help you out," Nozomi stated. "We'll carry you when you can't carry yourself."

"I'm lucky to have so many friends who will pick me up when I'm feeling down," Mat stated. "We wanna do the same for you, May."

Despite the tears that were fighting to find their way out, May couldn't help but smile at the support of her friends.

"T-Thank you... thank you, _everyone_..." May sobbed, trying her best to hold herself together.

But when Nick let his hand rest on her shoulder, May lost all of her composure and threw herself into Nick's arms, crying loudly and letting her emotions run free.

As Nick hugged her back, the other spies joined in, turning it into a group hug.

Nick looked up to the sky, his only thought besides comforting May being finding Millia and making her pay for what she'd done.

* * *

(The pages constantly turn, no matter how long the reader takes. When one story ends, another story will inevitably start. In the end, there is only a new beginning.)

**Mat49324** and **The Blue Time Ranger** are proud to present:  
_Totally Spies!: __Shattered Memories  
_**Story Rated:** T for Teen  
**Story Created:** October 12th, 2019

**Story Summary:** The fifth joint project between Mat49324 and The Blue Time Ranger. May Iwakura has a pretty good life, all things considered. She has a circle of close friends, not to mention being an agent of W.O.O.H.P., ready and vigilant to thwart evildoers and nutcases. But once again, the past refuses to stay buried. When parents begin to go missing in Japan, it seems like another normal case for W.O.O.H.P, until May finds her own parents among those missing. During their mission, May will reunite with her old friend circle, the Jellyfish Pirates, in hopes of finding her missing parents and, if rumors are to be believed, stop a psychopath who may be responsible for the dissolution of the Jellyfish Pirates...

**On Today's Episode: **Mrs. Quivers has been captured, and Jason has been reunited with his father, but with Johnny dead by Millia's blade, the victory is very hollow. But now, it's time to settle the score once and for all. May goes one on one with Millia, ready to make her pay for everything she's done. Can May triumph over the assassin and avenge the deaths of Ami and Johnny?

**And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer:** Mat49324 and I do not own anything related to Totally Spies or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Marathon Media Group, Image Entertainment Corporation, Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, and David Michel. The only things of this story we DO own are any characters created by us truly for the story (in this case, Nick, Haruka, Bridget, May, Nozomi, Dawn, and Melissa on my side, and Mathew on his side). Any characters or things we don't own, we are just borrowing with no intent of copyright infringement, only for the entertainment of our readers. Besides, if we _did_ own Totally Spies, which we _don't_, why would we be writing fiction on a fan site?

* * *

Episode 3: Consonance

**6:57 PM – Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan**

With Mrs. Quivers captured by W.O.O.H.P., the twelve spies set out to settle the score with Millia.

"Let's do this, spies," said Haruka. "One villain apprehended... one to go!"

Nick was already firing up his psychic aura. "Millia WILL pay for this!"

The other spies nodded at each other.

"For May and Johnny," said Bridget.

With that, the spies made their way back to Millia's hideout.

"Okay, if I were Millia, where would I be now?" Mat asked.

"Hideout, of course," said Britney.

It thankfully didn't take too long for the spies to find Millia's latest hideout again and Millia herself. May was definitely THE most upset of the twelve spies; Nick had to be number two.

"So... the twelve spy-rejects are back, are they..." Millia said, obviously not surprised. "And the Jellyfish Picketers that should get another life!"

"'Spy-rejects' is a classic sign of overconfidence from you!" Alex exclaimed.

"And it's Jellyfish _Pirates_, ya dumb katana-wielding _failure!_" Souji screamed.

"You're _really_ gonna pay for killing my first crush!" May screamed, obviously with Johnny in her thoughts. "I _swear it_!"

As Millia wielded her katana – obviously offended by Souji saying "katana-wielding failure" – Sam and Mat used their laser lipstick (and chapstick for Mat) to break Millia's spare katana.

"Ugh! Not again!" Millia exclaimed.

"You're not using ANYTHING on our watch!" Sam quipped as she and Mat high-fived.

"I don't need to listen to this," said Millia as she inched closer. "But I CAN still beat you all!"

Nick unleashed his psychic aura as a warning shot for Millia to not come any closer.

"One more step and you'll be playing a harp up in the sky!" Nick shouted.

Millia just eyed May.

"If you're really one of those pirates, then you will agree to my terms, girl!" Millia said, centering her attention on May. "You and me... mano a mano... one on one!"

"Not gonna happen!" Haruka exclaimed. "You're gonna have to deal with _all of us!_"

"It's _my_ way or no way!" Millia shouted back at Haruka.

As a warning to the spies and the Jellyfish Pirates, Millia shocked the group by throwing a bomb directly at Haruka, who gasped. Mat turned his legs into overdrive and still managed to make a diving save on Haruka before the bomb exploded into a bunch of string. It turned out to be a ruse because Millia had thrown _another_ bomb in the direction of Mat and Haruka well before Haruka could even give Mat a "thank you." The second bomb ensnared Haruka and Mat... and unfortunately got Alex, too, who was trying to help both to their feet.

"Haruka! Mat! Alex!" the spies screamed.

Sam, Clover, and Britney used what gadgets they had to try and free their comrades. Nick joined in slightly.

"So, what do you say now?" Millia asked May.

"If you call her out, she's fighting alongside me!" Nick declared.

"I said 'one-on-one', you...!" Millia shouted, throwing another bomb at Nick.

He was quick enough to deflect the bomb and move out of the way so string would not encase anybody else.

"I don't know how she got those, but that's not part of the plan!" Clover exclaimed.

"I can only think Mrs. Quivers had something to do with it," Sam deduced.

"But because I'm in a bit of a good mood," Millia said to May. "You have thirty minutes to decide on that one-on-one... and come to the beach where we can have more room to rumble."

With that, Millia disappeared, much to the spies' and the Jellyfish Pirates' dismay.

"So, what do we do now, guys?" Mat asked. "I really don't want May to go at this alone, considering..."

"Yeah, who knows what else that crazy chick has up her sleeve?" Clover stated. "I don't expect her to fight fair _at all_."

May stared at the spot where Millia had just been while the spies deliberated on what exactly to do. She knew that this might possibly be their last chance to take care of Millia before she committed any more atrocities.

After a few seconds of thinking, May came to her decision. It was now or never.

"Wait, what if she tries one of those dumb tricks where she's actually hiding her weapon and..." Bridget asked.

"I'm going, you guys," May proclaimed.

"WHAT?!" everyone else shouted.

"Think about it," May responded. "This could be our only chance to take Millia down before she does anything else that'll get my blood boiling, and _god forbid_ she goes after any of you. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to any of you."

"Are you sure, May?" Haruka asked.

"Who better to finish this than the one she was gunning for this whole time?" May teased before her expression turned deadly serious. "I have to do this. It _has_ to be me. I promised Ami that I'd avenge her if I ever found her killer, and now I need to end this so Johnny can rest in peace, too."

"Well, we're coming, too," Sam proclaimed. "No matter what, we'll back you up, May. If she tries anything, we'll keep her in line."

"Thanks, everyone," May replied, wiping a few tears. "You really are the best friends ever. Now let's go put an end to this."

Before May could go storming off to the beach, Nick quickly stopped her, wanting to voice a concern that had been bugging him ever since Millia had revealed herself as Ami's killer.

"May... I need to know something," Nick asked silently, so the other spies wouldn't catch on. "What if... what if Millia forces you to... you know, _kill her_? I mean, it was hard enough for me to kill Kevin, even when he wasn't even my _real_ brother, just a evil clone..."

"I've already thought about it, Nick," May replied, surprising Nick. "I'll try my best to end this non-lethally, but if she won't give me any other choice, I'll do what I gotta do."

While the rest of the group discussed how to aid May in case the fight went south, May used that opportunity to kiss Nick on the cheek while no one was looking.

"Hey, now," Nick teased.

"I know I've been kissing you a lot, Nick, but it's just so I can show how grateful I am to you for helping me through this," May admitted. "And I know Alex understands, too. She smiled at me the last time, so..."

Nick surprised May by taking her hand and pulling her into a fierce hug.

"Thanks, Nick," May giggled.

"Anytime, May," Nick replied. "Now let's go kick some ass."

May nodded, adjusting her cap. "You _know_ it."

Once everyone had discussed their plans, the spies made their way to the beach that Millia had specified, with the Jellyfish Pirates in tow.

And sure enough, Millia was standing near the edge of the waves, yet another katana strapped in a sheath to her back.

"Seriously, where do all you assassin characters get so many dang swords?!" Clover exclaimed. "Do assassins have, like, a warehouse shop for their killing tools?!"

"_That's_ your first question, Clover?" Yuki sighed.

Millia reached for the katana's handle so she could draw it and aim for May. "So, girl? What's your decision?" Millia asked.

"You want a duel, you've got one," May responded, shifting into a fighting stance. "We're ending this, Millia. Right here, _right now_."

"And what are _they_ doing here if you're agreeing to my terms?" Millia taunted.

"Oh, we're just, shall we say, spectators," Alex responded.

"And we're gonna make sure you don't try anything _scummy_," Souji proclaimed. "After all, don't you assassins have a code of honor or something like that?"

"Oh, and that's another thing," May interrupted. "Before we get started, I want you to promise me that you won't go after them. Swear on your honor as an assassin, got it?"

"Fine," Millia replied. "I swear on my honor as an assassin that you will be my only target today."

"All right, then," May proclaimed. "Let's get it on!"

Millia was the first to attack, charging forward and swinging her katana, only for May to easily dodge the strike by juking to the left and retaliating with a spinning sidewinder kick that sent Millia stumbling.

Millia quickly recovered and punched May in the stomach, then stabbed out with her katana, only for May to duck under the swing and uppercut Millia in the chin (heavily resisting the rather inappropriate urge to shout "SHORYUKEN" as she did so), giving May an opening to reach for the katana.

However, Millia lashed out with a spinning attack that forced May to dance backwards to avoid getting cut. Millia leaped through the air and thrust downwards, to which May rolled away from so that the blade only sunk into the sand.

May took advantage of her chance and threw out a right hook to Millia's face, followed by a palm strike to her gut and then a flying kick to send Millia sprawling.

Despite all this, Millia refused to give in, getting right back on her feet and swinging overhead, a slash that May just barely avoided by ducking backwards.

"You fell for it!" Millia shouted, stabbing forwards and hoping to hit May as she rose, only for her blade to be redirected by the badge on May's hoodie, the one that Johnny had given her.

"W-what?!" Millia gasped.

"Thank you, Johnny," May whispered before punching Millia directly in the face.

As Millia regained her balance, she swung her katana horizontally, only for May to leap over the strike and slam her foot down mid-jump, trapping the katana's blade underneath her foot.

"Why did you kill Ami?" May asked. "At least tell me _that_ before I have to knock your block off."

Millia, in response, simply grinned evilly. "You can ask her when you join her in hell."

Acting fast, Millia yanked her katana away from May, not doing any damage but tripping May up and causing her to fall.

As May fell, Millia twirled around and tossed her katana towards Nick, who quickly raised a psychic barrier to deflect the flying blade.

"Why am I not surprised?" Nick proclaimed.

"Honor is for the weak," Millia responded, running forward to retake her weapon, only to be blasted backwards by a Final Shine Attack.

"I should have known you'd take the first chance you'd get to pick us off while May couldn't catch up," Nick growled. "You nutjobs are all the same."

Millia simply huffed before reaching into her pockets and tossing a trio of kunai for the spies, who quickly dodged the flying projectiles.

"What's it going to take to keep you down, you _bitch_?!" Haruka shouted.

"Oh, I think you're quite aware of that," Millia laughed, hoping to unnerve May so she could move in for the kill. "If you want to stop me, you're going to have to kill me."

Millia glanced back up, expecting to see May scared and confused.

However, only steely determination stared back at the assassin as May walked up and stomped on the handle of Millia's katana, causing it to flip into the air so she could catch it and wield it herself.

"I've already made peace with that fact," May responded. "Because you're clearly not giving me any alternative."

"Oh, don't tell me you have the _guts_," Millia taunted. "Better yet, how about I take that time to spill _yours_?!"

Millia drew a short sword from behind her back and rushed forward to attack Bridget, only for her to activate Sonic Mode and lunge forward, striking at Millia so fast she couldn't even defend herself.

After five super-speedy hits, one last flying kick to her back sent Millia careening into a sand dune.

"Finish her off, May!" Bridget shouted.

"Already on it," May replied, rushing in to finish the fight.

Exhausted as she was, Millia couldn't defend herself in time as May charged, landing a resounding slash across Millia's arm that forced her to drop her blade.

As Millia stumbled, May came back for another attack, slashing across Millia's lower chest and dropping the assassin to her knees.

Clutching her chest, Millia looked up at May, her eyes silently pleading for mercy.

"P-Please... please spare my life," Millia gasped, even as she reached for one last secret weapon while May couldn't see it.

"Did Ami ask you for mercy?" May shot back. "Did _Johnny_ ask you for mercy?! Did _anyone you killed_ ask you for mercy?! And you just ignored their pleas and _slaughtered _them without a second thought! You're no honorable assassin, you're just a bloodthirsty _murderer_. So I guess that means you can consider this _justice_ for all the people you've killed."

As May raised the katana for the finishing blow, Millia made her last-ditch move, uncovering a pocket knife from behind her shirt and lunging for May.

However, May swung the katana to knock the smaller blade aside, and while Millia was in shock, May made her move, thrusting the katana right through Millia's chest.

"Holy crap," Nozomi gasped.

"There," May proclaimed. "Johnny and Ami have been avenged, you _monster_."

Millia mustered just enough strength to look up at May one last time, her shocked expression speaking volumes. May extracted the katana and tossed it aside as Millia collapsed to her knees, her eyes widening briefly before dulling out as she fell on her face, all life fleeing her body.

As the reality of what had just occurred finally sunk in, May fell to her knees. All the grief she'd been holding in since Johnny's death was finally allowed to come bursting forth now that he had been avenged.

Nick was over there in a flash, kneeling down to hug May as she cried her heart out. The Jellyfish Pirates stayed silent, saying their prayers to Johnny and Ami, while the spies called Jerry so they could let their boss know that their mission was officially complete.

"I'm sure Ami would be proud of the hero you've become, May," Nick whispered. "And I know for a _fact_ that Johnny would be proud of you, too."

That statement only made May cry harder, but it felt good to her, finally letting her sorrow out as she cried in Nick's arms.

"You seriously get a major pat on the back from me," Mat quipped to May.

"Totally," said Clover. "I don't think I could do what you did on my best day."

"Yes, splendid job, May," said Jerry. "I am especially proud of you here."

"Well, now that Millia's out of the way, we've got a decision on our hands," Souji pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, we do," said Yuki, knowing where Souji was going with this.

The other twelve W.O.O.H.P. agents looked on.

"We're likely going to bring the Jellyfish Pirates out of the dark," said Souji to May.

That got May's attention, knowing Johnny named her new leader upon his untimely death.

"What do you say, May?" asked April. "Do we get you back?"

May had trouble coming up with that simple yes/no answer. She looked back at her new eleven spy friends and Jerry.

"The choice is yours, May," said Jerry. "Nobody will force you to stay."

May glanced around, wondering what she was going to do. After a couple seconds, she looked down at the badge on her hoodie and recalled something that Johnny had said to her a while ago.

"_Oh, that's cool, Johnny! What is it?"_

"_It's a badge to signify the captain, or leader, of the Jellyfish Pirates. Yuki got it custom-made for me."_

"_That's Yuki, all right! And I honestly couldn't imagine anyone else but you as our leader!"_

"_...May, I'm not going to be the captain forever. In case you forgot, I'm older than you, and when I graduate, we may not follow the same paths. So I'll eventually pass this down to whoever I believe is worthy to be the leader of the Jellyfish Pirates."_

"_...do you believe I'm worthy, Johnny?"_

"_Give it a couple years, May, you're only thirteen, ya know."_

"_I know! I just wanted to ask!"_

"_And if you do become leader someday, you can pass this down to whoever __**you**__ think is worthy."_

After remembering those words, May came to her decision. Both sides were watching anxiously, wondering what May would do.

May simply smiled, tucked her hands behind her back, and walked towards where Mira was standing.

**("Wild Flowers" by Ramar plays)**

"Hey, Mira."

"W-what's up, May?"

May wiped her eyes before focusing her gaze on Mira. "You remember this badge, right?" May asked.

"Yeah, it's meant to show who our 'leader' is," Mira answered. "And... that's you now, right?"

"Pretty much," May replied. "But... a leader has to make some tough decisions sometimes, you know. Like, who's going to succeed me as leader when my time has come, for lack of better words to say."

Before Mira could figure out what May was getting at, May reached for her badge, unhooking it from her hoodie and placing it on Mira's jacket.

It took a couple seconds for it to fully click, but when it did, Mira realized what May had just done.

"...m-_me_?" Mira gasped. "Are you sure? Why not April or..."

"Mira, you know that I think you're one of the best people for this job," May answered. "I've always said that if Johnny wasn't the leader, it would probably be either you or me. And now, I want you to lead the Jellyfish Pirates in my stead."

"W-wait, May, does that mean you're going back?" April asked.

"You guys have been some of the coolest friends I've ever had, and that's never gonna change," May explained. "But I also have a wonderful group of new friends that I've made since I made it to America, and I'd feel really bad for leaving them behind. Like I said, sometimes a leader's gotta make the tough choices."

May walked back to Nick's side, leaning on his shoulder in an affectionate way. "I just feel like my time as a Jellyfish Pirate is over," May continued. "I've found a new path in life, helping people alongside W.O.O.H.P., and I don't wanna throw that away just because I miss my friends."

Mira looked up at May's smiling face and couldn't help but smile herself. "Jellyfish Pirates for life, right?" Mira asked.

"Forever and ever, _and_ ever," May replied. "Even if I'm not 'officially' a part of the group, we'll always be Jellyfish Pirates at heart. I think that's something Johnny would say."

"I'll do my best to lead the team, May. I _promise_ you that," Mira giggled.

"I guess that means we'll be calling you stuff like 'boss' and 'fearless leader' now, huh?" Akira teased.

"H-Hey, don't make me out to be one of those controlling authority figures!" Mira squeaked. "You _know_ I'm not like that!"

"Honestly, after all this time, it's still easy to push your buttons," Souji quipped.

"Souji, maybe don't tease her so much?" Yuki proclaimed. "Mira looks like she's about to faint."

As the spies laughed at the Jellyfish Pirates' antics, May couldn't help but see a transparent image of Johnny alongside them, even if he wasn't here anymore.

_I know you'd be proud of me, Johnny,_ May thought. _You always did push me to follow my own path._

The W.O.O.H.P. jet came to take the agents back to Beverly Hills. Nick, Haruka, Nozomi, and Bridget even looked back at Japan a last time until who-knew-when. Alex seemed to be waiting for Nick as they all came in to take their seats.

"Good timing," said Mat. "Jerry said he'll drop us off where we were earlier today."

"The store?" asked Haruka.

"No, the beach," said Clover. "Since there's still daylight left... granted we _are_ dealing with the sunset."

"That's exactly what we need," said Nozomi.

"Totally," said Britney. "Peace and quiet for some of us anyway."

"Plus, you look like you need a pick-me-up in terms of mood, Nick," Alex said to her boyfriend.

Before Nick could answer yes or no himself, the spies were dropped from the jet and back onto Santa Monica Beach.

**6:49 PM – Santa Monica Beach**

"Thank you, Jerry," said Dawn.

"Totally," Melissa quipped.

"I will if you will," Alex said to Nick, holding her X-Powder. "Sammy and Mat had a romantic chase earlier... so, I say it's our turn."

"I was thinking the same thing, honestly," Nick quipped. "That's, like, the one thing we really haven't done in our relationship yet."

"Then you're on," said Alex, using her X-Powder to change to her yellow two-piece.

"You're all mine, Alex," said Nick, finally with a smile of his own as he used his X-Powder and ran after Alex down to the shoreline.

As Alex juked to the side to dodge, Nick leaped forward, only to just barely miss Alex and end up with a face full of sand.

Nick quickly leaped back to his feet and charged to the east, hoping to catch Alex off guard, but Nick knew his girlfriend better than to think she'd fall for such an obvious ploy.

But he tried anyway, because they were having fun.

While Alex and Nick were having the times of their lives, Mat looked at the others, then shifted his attention to Sam, and gave her a slight shoulder bump.

"Well, they're having round one," He said to Sam, then taking out his SP. "You up for round two, Sam?"

She got out her X-Powder.

"You're gonna be the one to catch me," said Sam with a giggle.

"No arguments here," said Mat. "And we can work up an appetite after the last mission, too."

With that, he and Sam ran down to the shoreline – swimwear on – and chased each other, too near Alex and Nick.

"Well, safe to say love is totally in the air," said Clover from the sidelines.

"You got that right," said Haruka. "The lovebirds are hard at work."

Nozomi spared Haruka a reprimanding while the two couples cast their worries aside in one of the most romantic ways possible. When it was all said and done, the spies got some dinner and headed home.

**7:33 PM – Spies' Beach House**

After the spies had eaten their dinners, nobody had an urge for the pool outside, but everyone showered one after the other. Both Mat and Nick were at separate ends of the couch, and were holding their respective girlfriends. During the quiet time, Mat broke the silence.

"By the way," He said to the others. "Did... Nick tell you about the... stunt he and Haruka did on me and Sam in the pool?"

(**Author's Note from Mat49324**: This "stunt" I'm speaking of is in our first project, "Music Monster Much?" on Nick's old account.)

"Stunt?" Nozomi asked.

Nick and Haruka looked confused at first, but when Mat mentioned "up and over," Haruka immediately remembered.

"_OH!_ THAT!" Haruka exclaimed and broke into chuckles. Nick even remembered it, too.

"Oh, this, I _gotta_ hear!" Nozomi exclaimed. The others were intrigued, too.

"Ooh, this sounds like it's gonna be _good_," May giggled.

"It was after a much earlier mission when we had to stop Sebastian, mister music nut, from hypnotizing people with Ricky Mathis' music again," Nick started. "Some villains never learn, apparently."

"Once it was all over, Nick and I were invited for a sleepover, and the next morning, when we hit the pool, Nick decided to be sneaky and push me underwater," Haruka continued. "A few seconds later, I got my revenge by grabbing Nick's legs and pulling _him _underwater."

"And then comes the 'up and over' bit," Nick explained. "Sam and Mat tried to be sneaky, too, but we were too slick for them, so we dove and came back up behind them."

"We decided to try something I've always wanted to do," Haruka giggled. "We leaped at them, then did a sort of handstand _flip_ over them that dunked them both!"

"I think it's safe to say that probably got some sparks going with me and Sam," said Mat before looking at Sam to see if she agreed.

"It was amusing," said Sam. "But... yeah I'd like to think so, too."

"And amusing to watch, too," Clover added.

"Amusing for _you_, anyway," Mat said to Clover.

Sam looked at the steps and motioned to Mat, who followed her. Haruka remembered she hadn't given Sam and Mat her presents as she saw them go up and ran after the two lovers.

"Something wrong, Haruka?" Mat asked.

"Hold on, guys, I wanted to give you something before you go off to do whatever," Haruka quipped, handing two wrapped gifts to Sam and Mat.

Inside each was a framed picture of Sam and Mat, specifically of them kissing during their jacuzzi outing at the end of the spies' previous adventure.

"Is... _this_ what you were being so secretive about, Haruka?" Mat wondered. "A picture of us kissing?"

"Well, honestly, the reason I was photo-opping you two then was because I wanted to give you two a reminder of what you've got, in case either of you is down in the dumps about _anything_," Haruka answered. "You two have something special, and I wouldn't want you to ever lose that."

Sam and Mat shared a chuckle and a grin at Haruka's nice gesture. They knew it was from their alone time in the jacuzzi and Mat had made his heartfelt promise to Sam.

"I'll be sure to look at it that way," said Mat. "Thanks, Haruka."

"We really have wonderful friends, don't we?" Sam giggled. "Thank you so much, Haruka."

"You're welcome," said Haruka. "Lucky thing I got it to you lovebirds because I almost forgot about it after Mat brought up the 'up and over' move."

She then went back downstairs as Sam and Mat ducked into Sam's room.

"You promise not to try anything?" Sam asked Mat.

"I know what you mean," said Mat. "And believe me – I _won't_ try anything."

Both still had their PJs on. Both sat on Sam's bed, then lay down together, holding each other. Sam snuggled her head under Mat's shoulder.

"I love you, Sammy," Mat whispered and kissed Sam's head.

"I love you, too, Mat," Sam whispered right back.

Mat kept his word and didn't try anything Sam was uncomfortable with – including trying to remove her clothing.

"I'm glad you made that promise to me," Sam whispered to Mat.

"I'm glad, too," said Mat. "I love you with _all my heart,_ Sammy."

"I love you, too, Mat-sweetie," Sam said again.

The two then got lost in their warm, fuzzy feelings of love and each other, and began to hug and kiss and whisper sweet nothings to one another.

**1:33 AM – The Spies' Beach House**

Nick's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he groaned inwardly as he glanced at his alarm clock to see what time it was.

"I swear, why does jet lag _always_ murder your sleeping patterns?" Nick sighed as he decided to just return to the world of sleep...

...until he heard something.

Naturally, Nick was immediately on edge, all traces of sleepiness fading from her mind. He slowly stepped out of his room, ready to unleash his psychic aura in response to the strange noise.

Then he heard crying.

"Wait, what?" Nick asked himself as he slowly descended to the first floor to uncover who was sad.

Though, honestly, with everything that had happened on their latest mission, Nick realized that, of everyone in this beach house, those tears could only belong to one person.

And when Nick reached the bottom of the stairwell, his suspicions were confirmed.

May was sitting on the couch watching late night television, though apparently the show had been forgotten, as she was crying softly and covering her eyes.

Nick felt like he needed to rectify that, walking down into the living room and sitting down by May, even as the sudden movement of the couch made May jolt slightly.

"What brings you out here this late at night, miss?" Nick teased. "It can't be these cheesy late night programs."

"H-Honestly, it just helps as background noise," May answered.

As May tried to wipe her tears away, Nick immediately picked up on why she had probably been crying.

"Are you crying for Johnny?" Nick asked.

_Of course he'd see right through me,_ May thought as she turned around to face Nick.

"...Nick, it hasn't even been a day," May admitted. "I thought it would hurt at _least _a _little_ less once we took down Millia, but... I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I still miss him, Nick..."

"He meant a lot to you, didn't he?" Nick asked.

"Oh, wow, Nick, Johnny was one of those jack-of-all-trades kinda guys," May explained as she reminisced on the good time. "He really took my crushing in stride, considering he already had a girlfriend, he was an awesome martial arts guru-type dude, and he always looked out for me whenever we got in too deep for our antics with the Jellyfish Pirates."

May's voice began to crack as she continued. "And I _finally_ get to see him after _three years_, and he gets killed by the same whacko that killed Ami... and I _still_ don't know why she killed Ami, too!"

Before May could start crying again, Nick simply pulled her into his arms as he had done so much for her on their mission.

"It always hurts when you lose someone you love," Nick replied. "I lost my grandmother about a couple months before I joined W.O.O.H.P., and, well, I was basically a blubbering mess for a couple days. But, there was something that mom told me that really made me feel better, despite everything. She said that grandma wouldn't want me to constantly mourn her death. Instead, she'd want me to celebrate her life, as the wonderful family figure she was."

Nick smiled down at May. "I think Johnny and Ami would want the same thing, if you want my opinion," Nick stated. "They'd want you to keep going, and not constantly crush yourself over the fact that they're not with us anymore."

May, despite her tears, couldn't help but smile after hearing Nick's story. "...yeah. I think they'd want that, too," May responded. "You know, Alex was right about you, Nick. You're a really sweet guy, you know that?"

"I have definitely been told," Nick teased. "Now come on, let's get you back to bed. It _is_ pretty late, after all."

"H-Hey, Nick?" May asked. "Would it... would it be okay if I stayed in your room tonight? I had a _really_ vivid nightmare, and that's what woke me up..."

"Say no more, May," Nick replied. "Just let me write a note for Alex so no one gets the wrong idea."

"Yeah, _that_ would be _very _awkward for everyone involved," May giggled.

Once Nick had written his note to the spies about avoiding misunderstandings, Nick and May retreated back upstairs to Nick's room for the night.

"Good night, Nick," May stated once they were under the covers. "See ya in the morning."

"You, too, May," Nick replied. "Sweet dreams."

Once Nick was asleep (and yes, May knew, she could tell by the way he snored), May allowed herself to think of something Johnny had said to her after she'd introduced him to the spies.

"_Be honest with me, would you have wanted to, you know, pursue him if we wasn't with Alex?"_

"_Well, I did entertain the thought before I knew he had a girlfriend, but those two are such the perfect couple that I couldn't bear to do anything to mess that up."_

"You really are quite the character, Nick," May whispered to herself. "I can see why Alex fell in love with you."

Unable to stop herself now, May leaned over and kissed Nick on the cheek before laying back down.

And with that, May fell to sleep, thankfully no longer plagued by vivid visions of Millia and her blade.

_Heh... I love you, Nick. That'll be my secret._

_~Totally Spies: Shattered Memories~  
__~The End~_

* * *

**Author's Note from The Blue Time Ranger:** And another one is in the books! I honestly missed doing Totally Spies stories, so it's been fun getting back into the groove of things. And now, I have a Key to Her Heart III chapter I desperately need to get back to, so I'll see you in that.

ONE MORE THING!: Yes, Mat and I have another Totally Spies adventure in the works, this one dealing with the return of a certain "Evil Boyfriend" that I frickin' _despise_. Yeah, I hate James for what he did to Sam, and yes, he's gonna be the main villain of our next TS project, "Secrets Near and Dear". Go check that one out on Mat's profile whenever it comes out. In the meantime, enjoy this preview, and see you next mission!

Stay gold,  
The Blue Time Ranger

* * *

"Wait a minute, is that...?!" Sam gasped.

Nick took a good look at the picture and his blood started boiling. Because, alongside the letter that vividly detailed the kidnapping that had just occurred, a photo was enclosed of the culprit.

And it was a face that Sam had hoped never to see again.

"James," Nick growled. "Ooh, not this son of a biscuit again."

"Wait, why would he kidnap just Alex, Clover, and Mat?" Nozomi asked, a little confused. "From what you guys told me about him, I figured he'd want to get revenge on _you_, Sammy."

"He's probably going after our loved ones," Haruka replied. "Rules for villains, number fifty four: when planning revenge, always go after people that your target considers precious or dear to them. It's a scummy move, but it's there."

"He wants me to get back with him if we ever want to see them again," Sam proclaimed. "But like _hell_ I'm _ever_ reconciling with that sleazeball after everything he put me through!"

"Then I guess the only other option available is a good ol' search and rescue!" May exclaimed. "No way in _heck_ are we gonna leave our friends in the lurch!"

"May's right," Nick proclaimed, his psychic aura flaring to life. "James just made this personal. And I swear to you, Sammy, he's going to _regret_ the day he _ever_ crossed us."

_To be continued in Totally Spies: Secrets Near and Dear..._


End file.
